Lec. 20 - Cures for Sale Flashcards

1
Q

What are 3 questions always asked in evidence-based medicine

A
  1. Does this drug work?
  2. What are the side effects?
  3. Is there anything better in comparison already
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2
Q

Why is alternative medicine fundamentally flawed?

A

No such thing as alternative medicine. If there is evidence for it, it becomes conventional medicine.

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3
Q

Name 4 tenets of conventional medicine

A
  1. Evidence-based
  2. Better than placebo
  3. Benefits outweigh side-effects
  4. Documented
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4
Q

What are 3 principles necessary in drug testing?

A
  1. Tested against a placebo
  2. Double-blind:
    - Neither patient nor physician knows which is drug and which is placebo
  3. Randomization:
    - Random distribution of placebo and drug (so as not to bias one group over the other)
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5
Q

What are the rates of placebo effect?

And nocebo effect?

A

Placebo -> ~35%

Nocebo -> ~15%

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6
Q

What is homeopathy?

A

Belief system that one can dilute a substance but somehow retain magical properties

Through “potentiation” (making potent by diluting)

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7
Q

What is the process of potentiation?

A

Start with initial compound. Dilute it 1:100. Repeat 30 times (banging the vile in between dilutions)

Final concentration: 1/10^60

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8
Q

What’s an example of contemporary snake oil?

A

Oregano oil. Sold as an antibiotic, but taking it while having infection can be dangerous.

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9
Q

What are homeopathic nosodes?

A

Sugar pills that have been proclaimed to replace vaccines (influenza, whooping cough, diphtheria, polio, etc.)

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10
Q

What is a common herbal remedy from year to year?

What main function is it said to have

A

Echinacea (pink flower) -> but no actual evidence for therapeutic use

Claim is that it is an anti-biotic

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11
Q

What are prime targets for herbal remedies (5)?

A
  • Conditions that resolve anyway
  • Conditions with psychological component
  • Chronic conditions that cycle
  • Attempts to improve appearance
  • Cure terminal illness
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12
Q

What was sold as a remedy for cataracts recently?

A

Ginkgo biloba

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13
Q

Name a common herbal remedy for baldness

A

Shen min

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14
Q

What is Leritone?

What is it’s main ingredient

A

A ‘drug’ claimed to increase intelligence

Main ingredient -> cerebral phospholipid (ground up cow brain)

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15
Q

What is Ephedra?

What does it claim to cure?

What can it actually cause?

What finally got it banned?

A

Stimulant in amphetamine family

Claims to cure obesity, asthma, increase athletic ability

Can cause stroke and myocardial infarct

Famous baseball player died in locker room taking it before a game

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16
Q

What is one of the dangers with herbal remedies?

A

Herbal toxicity. Plants are full of chemicals, many of which are harmful to humans, so using them without prescription can be dangerous

17
Q

How does chinese traditional medicine operate and why is it dangerous?

A

Mix of a bunch of ingredients (plants, animals, etc.), sometimes potpourri of 30 substances

Never know what you’re going to consume, and could lead to drug-drug interactions

18
Q

What is dangerous about using herbal remedies + conventional medicine

A

Drug-drug interactions! Herbal remedies have active compounds, so interactions can occur.

A salient danger is any effect on P450s

19
Q

What is St. John’s Worts?

A

So called treatment for depression

20
Q

Why does St. John’s Worts cause so many negative side effects with other drugs?

A

It increases CYP3A4 activity, thus decreasing levels of many other drugs

21
Q

Name some drugs affected by St. John’s Worts (6)

A

-Statins decreased (risk of heart attack)
-Antiepileptics (risk of seizures)
-Oral contraceptives (risk of pregnancy)
-HIV protease inhibitor (go out of HIV remission)
-Chemotherapy drug
-Immunosuppressants
etc.

22
Q

What is dangerous about garlic supplements

A

Induction of P450s, which can affect things like anticoagulants (risk of bleeding to death)

23
Q

Name 2 main categories of over the counter (OTC) drugs

A
  • Analgesics, NSAIDs

- Cough and cold-related drugs

24
Q

What do most OTCs have in common?

A

They are symptom relievers (don’t prevent or shorten actual illness)

25
How do nasal decongestants work?
Constrict blood vessels in the nasal mucosa, making them less leaky 1. Stimulation of alpha 1 adrenoreceptors 2. Calcium released in smooth muscle cells 3. Smooth muscles contract, causing vasoconstriction
26
How do anti-allergy drugs function?
Contain anti-histamines. In an allergic reaction, histamine acts on H1 receptors in smooth muscle in the airways Anti-histamines block this process
27
How do antifungals function? Give an example using athletes foot
ex. Tolnaftate "attacks" fungal cellular components (ex. cell wall)
28
What are the 2 main approaches to treating heartburn
H2 blockers: HCL producing cells (parietal cells) are stimulated by histamine, acetylcholine, and gastrin. By blocking H2 receptors, decreases gastric output Proton pump inhibitors: Parietal cells have proton pumps to pump out gastric acid. These drugs (generally ending in -ole; ex. Omeprazole,) block this process. Prodrugs that are activated in stomach.
29
What is used for the treatment of constipation?
Fiber! Things like Metamucil, for example
30
What is used to treat diarrhea?
Loperamide (Imodium) -> opioid! Stimulates μ receptors of intestinal wall (myenteric plexus) Does not cross BBB, no CNS effcts
31
What over the counter drugs can be used to prevent osteoporosis
Calcium carbonate supplements (like TUMS) supplement calcium
32
What is an OTC drug to treat warts?
Salicylic acid in a local application dissolves the wart