Is Medicine Scientific?

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by entelecheia, Oct 8, 2013.

  1. entelecheia Registered Senior Member

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    I'm trying to look into whether the medical profession is truly scientific and what "based on science" means exactly.

    I want to know how I can be sure that most studies in medicine are unbiased.

    I know that Dr. John Ioannidis wrote a famous paper on how most published research findings are false. And I read a summary of an article in the NEJM about how the studies on antidepressants only get published if they seem to support the use of antidepressants.

    I also have a specific interest in pyroluria, which was dismissed by medicine in the 1970s.

    If people could give concise explanations of why the studies done are certainly reliable, that would be great, and then maybe we could get into more specific things.
     
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  3. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    Suspect it is worth distinguishing between whether or not a discipline is scientific and whether or not it is free from bias.

    It seems to me any practical, applied science, especially one with such huge political and commercial implications as medicine, is bound to struggle to stay free from bias and pressures of various kinds. But I think there is no doubt that medicine tries to apply scientific principles, even if particular treatments need to take account of the human dimension.
     
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  5. entelecheia Registered Senior Member

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    Yes. I also want to know how to distinguish between alternative medicine, placebomedicine and pseudomedicine. Is there any serious site on the Internet dedicated to research this topic?

    Which of them clearly belongs to the category of pseudomedicine?:

    Chinese Pulsology, Electro-auriculopuncture, Iridology, Trophology, Orthopathy.


    The one intrigues me more is Iridology. Exist any serious histologycal research on it, as well as microstructural studies on embryonic stages?

    Is there any serious research on Trophology and its alleged natural incompatibilities of certain food combinations?
    Is there any scientific way to determine whether such foods combine well? Or simply we should be guided according to the chef and our palate?

    That is probably related to the fact that in no language exist an antonym for lying:shrug:.
     
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