4 ms·

The article makes the money sound evil, but I'm just not seeing the evil here. $1000/mo to a doctor? So what? The treatment is probably a little ahead of the s

The article makes the money sound evil, but I'm just not seeing the evil here. $1000/mo to a doctor? So what? The treatment is probably a little ahead of the science, but the answer to that is better science. It makes sense to me that people get less sun than before, and therefore have lower and less consistent vitamin D levels. It doesn't feel unnatural to me... I think of it more like a replacement of what we lose by staying indoors more.

nickserv 8y ago
There's the principle of neutrality and objectivity which is extremely important in science, especially when lives are at stake. 1000 a month may indeed not be a huge sum for a doctor, but it is not nothing, and one has to wonder what exactly is being bought here.
- DanielGee 8y ago
  Especially considering medicine has a long history of being co-opted by money. There was a time when doctors were paid to push cigarettes by cigarette companies. https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/throwback-thursday-when-doctors-prescribed-healthy-cigarette-brands-165404/ https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/throwback-thursday-wh... And of course in recent times, pharma was able to convince doctors to push addictive painkillers to patients. A healthy skepticism is a good thing in science.
lukestevens 8y ago
That’s just one of the sources of money: ”Yet Dr. Holick also has extensive financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. He received nearly $163,000 from 2013 to 2017 from pharmaceutical companies for consulting and other services, according to Medicare’s Open Payments database, which tracks payments from drug and device manufacturers. The companies paying him included Sanofi-Aventis, which markets vitamin D supplements; Shire, which makes drugs for hormonal disorders that are given with vitamin D; Amgen, which makes an osteoporosis treatment; and Roche Diagnostics and Quidel Corporation, which both make vitamin D tests.” and ”Dr. Holick’s ties to the tanning industry also have drawn scrutiny. Although Dr. Holick said he doesn’t advocate tanning, he has described tanning beds as a “recommended source” of vitamin D “when used in moderation.” Dr. Holick has acknowledged accepting research money from the UV Foundation — a nonprofit arm of the now-defunct Indoor Tanning Association — which gave $150,000 to Boston University from 2004 to 2006, earmarked for Dr. Holick’s research. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified tanning beds as carcinogenic in 2009.”
bookofjoe 8y ago
>$1000/mo to a doctor? So what? From OP:"In an interview, he said that working for Quest for four decades — he is currently paid $1,000 a month — hasn’t affected his medical advice." Also from OP:"...Dr. Holick acknowledged he has worked as a consultant to Quest Diagnostics, which performs vitamin D tests, since 1979. Dr. Holick also has extensive financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. He received nearly $163,000 from 2013 to 2017 from pharmaceutical companies for consulting and other services, according to Medicare’s Open Payments database, which tracks payments from drug and device manufacturers. The companies paying him included Sanofi-Aventis, which markets vitamin D supplements; Shire, which makes drugs for hormonal disorders that are given with vitamin D; Amgen, which makes an osteoporosis treatment; and Roche Diagnostics and Quidel Corporation, which both make vitamin D tests. The database includes only payments made since 2013, but Dr. Holick’s record of being compensated by drug companies started before that."
tchaffee 8y ago
Just because something makes sense to you doesn't mean there is anything to it at all. Lots of things sounds like common sense and then end up having no basis in reality. We need studies and advice from doctors who have nothing to gain from whatever the answer might be.

nickserv 8y ago

There's the principle of neutrality and objectivity which is extremely important in science, especially when lives are at stake. 1000 a month may indeed not be a huge sum for a doctor, but it is not nothing, and one has to wonder what exactly is being bought here.

DanielGee 8y ago
Especially considering medicine has a long history of being co-opted by money. There was a time when doctors were paid to push cigarettes by cigarette companies. https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/throwback-thursday-when-doctors-prescribed-healthy-cigarette-brands-165404/ https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/throwback-thursday-wh... And of course in recent times, pharma was able to convince doctors to push addictive painkillers to patients. A healthy skepticism is a good thing in science.

lukestevens 8y ago

That’s just one of the sources of money: ”Yet Dr. Holick also has extensive financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. He received nearly $163,000 from 2013 to 2017 from pharmaceutical companies for consulting and other services, according to Medicare’s Open Payments database, which tracks payments from drug and device manufacturers. The companies paying him included Sanofi-Aventis, which markets vitamin D supplements; Shire, which makes drugs for hormonal disorders that are given with vitamin D; Amgen, which makes an osteoporosis treatment; and Roche Diagnostics and Quidel Corporation, which both make vitamin D tests.” and ”Dr. Holick’s ties to the tanning industry also have drawn scrutiny. Although Dr. Holick said he doesn’t advocate tanning, he has described tanning beds as a “recommended source” of vitamin D “when used in moderation.” Dr. Holick has acknowledged accepting research money from the UV Foundation — a nonprofit arm of the now-defunct Indoor Tanning Association — which gave $150,000 to Boston University from 2004 to 2006, earmarked for Dr. Holick’s research. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified tanning beds as carcinogenic in 2009.”

bookofjoe 8y ago

>$1000/mo to a doctor? So what? From OP:"In an interview, he said that working for Quest for four decades — he is currently paid $1,000 a month — hasn’t affected his medical advice." Also from OP:"...Dr. Holick acknowledged he has worked as a consultant to Quest Diagnostics, which performs vitamin D tests, since 1979. Dr. Holick also has extensive financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. He received nearly $163,000 from 2013 to 2017 from pharmaceutical companies for consulting and other services, according to Medicare’s Open Payments database, which tracks payments from drug and device manufacturers. The companies paying him included Sanofi-Aventis, which markets vitamin D supplements; Shire, which makes drugs for hormonal disorders that are given with vitamin D; Amgen, which makes an osteoporosis treatment; and Roche Diagnostics and Quidel Corporation, which both make vitamin D tests. The database includes only payments made since 2013, but Dr. Holick’s record of being compensated by drug companies started before that."

tchaffee 8y ago

Just because something makes sense to you doesn't mean there is anything to it at all. Lots of things sounds like common sense and then end up having no basis in reality. We need studies and advice from doctors who have nothing to gain from whatever the answer might be.