• Sunday House Call, #518, January , 2015: Who Da Thunk It? Your Favourite Hollywood Celebrity is Also Your Doctor!

    Sunday House Call, #518, January , 2015:  Who Da Thunk It? Your Favourite Hollywood Celebrity is Also Your Doctor!   In his new book, “Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash”, University of Alberta Professor Timothy Caulfield argues that celebrity culture has emerged as one of our society’s most pernicious…

  • Sunday House Call, #493, June 29, 2014: Handsome snakeoil salesman

    Sunday House Call, #493, June 29, 2014: Handsome snakeoil salesman   Topics today include:A brilliant video from John Oliver on the folly of Dr. Oz, pacemaker decisions, tamoxifen following radiotherapy, fatigue after heart valve replacement and bypass, diabetes management questions, laser eye surgery and treatment of acromegaly.  

  • Sunday House Call, #454, September 8, 2013: Do You Believe in Magic?

    Sunday House Call, #454, September 8, 2013   There is belief and there is reality when it comes to alternative medicine practices. What leads many to believe unproven health benefits from a myriad of health products and yet harbor suspicions about what medical treatments and vaccines have to offer? Are we being duped by the…

  • The Doctor Will Sue You Now

    Since our last interview with Dr. Ben Goldacre in March of this year, he has written many a tale about the ongoing misrepresentations of science through agencies that wish to sell you a product or provide information through media sources. Given that many applications of common alternative medical treatments are harmless in nature, there are…

  • The "Oprah"fication of Medicine

    Original broadcast date: July 5, 2009 The general principle in science and medicine is to challenge claims and research findings in order to evaluate its veracity and repeatability. It takes evidence, solid evidence as the fuel for debate and contrarian viewpoints, not opinion based on anecdotal evidence. To wit, the news that Oprah Winfrey is…

  • Bad Science

    Original broadcast date: March 29, 2009 If there is one quote that epitomizes the plethora of ideas expressed in physician and Guardian columnist Dr. Ben Goldacre’s book bad science, it is this from paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science, Steven Jay Gould: “ When people learn no tools of judgment and merely follow their…

  • Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine

    Every year millions of people flock to complementary and alternative therapists offering a vast array of treatments ranging from acupuncture to biofeedback to urine injections. Millions more purchase over-the-counter alternative medications, such as glucosamine, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. While consumer motivations for turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) vary, there is one common element…

  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Canada: Trends in Use and Public Attitudes, 1997-2006

    A new survey shows that more than half of Canadians used at least one form of complementary or alternative medicine or treatment during the 12 months. The most commonly used complementary and alternative medicines and therapies reported were massage (19 per cent), prayer (16 per cent), chiropractic care (15 per cent), relaxation techniques (14 per…