Newly released by the Media Education Foundation, "Big Bucks, Big Pharma" pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry to expose the insidious ways that illness is used, manipulated, and in some instances created, for capital gain. Focusing on the industry's marketing practices, media scholars and health professionals help viewers understand the ways in which direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising glamorizes and normalizes the use of prescription medication, and works in tandem with promotion to doctors. Combined, these industry practices shape how both patients and doctors understand and relate to disease and treatment. Ultimately, Big Bucks, Big Pharma challenges us to ask important questions about the consequences of relying on a for-profit industry for our health and well-being. Featuring interviews with Dr. Marcia Angell (Dept. of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Former Editor New England Journal of Medicine), Dr. Bob Goodman (Columbia University Medical Center; Founder, No Free Lunch), Gene Carbona (Former Pharmaceutical Industry Insider and Current Executive Director of Sales, The Medical Letter), Katharine Greider (Journalist; Author, The Big Fix: How the Pharmaceutical Industry Rips Off American Consumers,), Dr. Elizabeth Preston (Dept. of Communication, Westfield State College), and Dr. Larry Sasich (Public Citizen Health Research Group). Producer/Editor: Ronit Ridberg Check out: www.mediaed.org

Author: kendramef
Keywords: drug advertising pharmaceutical health doctor nurse documentary media education mef medical sicko
Added: June 9, 2006

August 2006 (Medialink) -- According to new data published in The New England Journal of Medicine, patients who had suffered a stroke within the previous six months significantly reduced their risk of having another stroke by 16 percent while on intensive Lipitor therapy. The study also showed that their risk of suffering a major coronary event reduced by 35 percent. Among those who suffer a stroke in any given year, 24 percent of women and 42 percent of men will have another stroke within five years. In the U.S., one out of every four stroke survivors will suffer a second stroke within five years; one in three will suffer another stroke within two years. This is the first large-scale trial designed to evaluate the benefit of statins (cholesterol-lowering medication) only in patients with prior stroke and without coronary heart disease. Stroke Facts: A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain either is blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs to function properly. Every year, approximately 700,000 people in the U.S. and 15 million people worldwide experience a stroke. Currently there are 5.1 million Americans who have suffered a stroke. Stroke affects an estimated four out of five families in the U.S. The lifetime cost of treating one patient with a stroke can amount to more than $3 million. Major risk factors for stroke include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history of heart disease, increasing age, and gender. Produced for Pfizer

Author: Medialink
Keywords: health medicine
Added: September 1, 2006

Episode Four of "Rick Reynolds Gets Happy" -- Rick visits his nutritionist, Dr. Mom, who tells him to eat his vegetables, cut out the sweets, and keep his elbows off the table. "The feel-good hit of the summer!" -- The New England Journal Of Preventive Medicine http://www.churchofrick.com

Author: Alcofrybas
Keywords: comedy stand-up comedian rick reynolds video funny humor humour entertainment jokes diet dieting food
Added: September 3, 2006

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that an oral compound entering wide-spread testing is showing promise -- offering new hope to the 400,000 Americans living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Most people with MS are first diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting form of the disease, which means symptoms are stable for periods of time and then flare up or cause relapses. Currently, available treatments for MS are all given by injection and are beneficial to a lot of people, but many patients experience side effects. Some patients get painful sores at the injection site. Now, a Phase II study shows that an oral compound, known as FTY720, can significantly reduce the number of relapses and brain inflammation in MS patients for up to a year. FTY720 is now being tested in a larger number of people. For more information on the clinical trial of experimental drug FTY720, visit: www.msclinicaltrials.com or call 866-788-3930 toll-free.

Author: multivu
Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis MS oral compound 25404_vnrIpod.m4v
Added: September 19, 2006

Big Bucks, Big Pharma pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry to expose the insidious ways that illness is used, manipulated, and in some instances created, for capital gain. Focusing on the industry's marketing practices, media scholars and health professionals help viewers understand the ways in which direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising glamorizes and normalizes the use of prescription medication, and works in tandem with promotion to doctors. Combined, these industry practices shape how both patients and doctors understand and relate to disease and treatment. Ultimately, Big Bucks, Big Pharma challenges us to ask important questions about the consequences of relying on a for-profit industry for our health and well-being. Featuring interviews with Dr. Marcia Angell (Dept. of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Former Editor New England Journal of Medicine), Dr. Bob Goodman (Columbia University Medical Center; Founder, No Free Lunch), Gene Carbona (Former Pharmaceutical Industry Insider and Current Executive Director of Sales, The Medical Letter), Katharine Greider (Journalist; Author, The Big Fix: How the Pharmaceutical Industry Rips Off American Consumers,), Dr. Elizabeth Preston (Dept. of Communication, Westfield State College), and Dr. Larry Sasich (Public Citizen Health Research Group).

Author: ChallengingMedia
Keywords: MEF Media Education Literacy Critical Mass Industry Educational Sut Jhally Drugs Pharmaceuticals Commercialism Ads
Added: October 4, 2006

This is Dr. Sanjay Sharma for Insidermedicine. As head of the medical writing team, we are out there each and every day trying to bring you the latest in health and medical information. It has been an interesting week in medicine. Here is what I learned. Polypharmacy, that is the concept of taking many medicines. It is a problem in the elderly. A research paper has shown that only 13% of the elderly who are on numerous medicines take them correctly. Those who take 10 or more are at significant risk for missing doses, overdosing or taking the incorrect medicine. So for those who are elderly, or those who care for those who are elderly and who take alot of medicines, it is imperative that you develop a good system for taking medicines correctly. Another thing that we learned was a great way to lose weight. A recent study showed that moving to low calorie drinks can lead you to lose weight. By making a simple substitution you can lose up to a pound per day. This is big news for our teens. Because it is now estimated that nearly 20% of teens are obese. There have been some controversy over eating fish recently. While its benefits on cardiovascular disease are well known, PCBs contained within them can cause cancer, and mercury is known to be toxic to nerves. But a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that while there may be 24 more deaths per 100,000 due to cancer from fish ingestion, you end up saving over 7000 lives from heart disease. So fish wins out; it is a no brainer. The last thing we learned was that decaf coffee is not caffeine free. Some researchers went out and studied the caffeine content in many cups of decaf coffee obtained from specialty and traditional coffee shops. They found that on average each cup had 10mg of caffeine. These are not insignificant amounts, as this level can cause addition and health problems, especially in out patients with heart disease. So there you have it, the week in review from the perspective of medicine. Remember, check us out at! insider medicine. We are out there every weekday looking at the best stories for you.

Author: uploadcme
Keywords: healthcare cancer insidermedicine fish heart disease overweight dieting obesity medication errors caffeine
Added: November 10, 2006