Overkill: When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far

by Paul A. Offit MD, Tim H. Dixon (Read by)

Overview

An acclaimed medical expert and patient advocate offers an eye-opening look at many common and widely used medical interventions that have been shown to be far more harmful than helpful. Yet, surprisingly, despite clear evidence to the contrary, most doctors continue to recommend them.

Modern medicine has significantly advanced in the last few decades as more informed practices, thorough research, and incredible breakthroughs have made it possible to successfully treat and even eradicate many serious ailments. Illnesses that once were a death sentence, such as HIV and certain forms of cancer, can now be managed, allowing those affected to live longer, healthier lives. Because of these advances, we now live 30 years longer than we did 100 years ago.

But while we have learned much in the preceding decades that has changed our outlook and practices, we still rely on medical interventions that are vastly out of date and can adversely affect our health. We all know that finishing the course of antibiotics prevents the recurrence of illness, that sunscreens block harmful UV rays that cause skin cancer, and that all cancer-screening programs save lives. But do scientific studies really back this up?

In this game-changing book, Dr. Paul A. Offit debunks fifteen common medical interventions that have long been considered gospel despite mounting evidence of their adverse effects, from vitamins, sunscreen, fever-reducing medicines, and eyedrops for pink eye to more serious procedures like heart stents and knee surgery. Analyzing how these practices came to be, the biology of what makes them so ineffective and harmful, and the medical culture that continues to promote them, Overkill informs patients to help them advocate for their health. By educating ourselves, we can ask better questions about some of the drugs and surgeries that are all too readily available—and all too heavily promoted.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781094119113
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/14/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 5.60(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Paul A. Offit, MD, is a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as the acclaimed author of Autism's False Prophets, Vaccinated, Pandora's Lab, and Deadly Choices.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Ignoring James Lind 1

Part I Infections

1 Treating Fever Can Prolong or Worsen Illness 7

2 Finishing the Antibiotic Course Is Often Unnecessary 20

3 Antibiotic Drops Don't Treat Pinkeye 35

Part II Supplements and Drugs

4 Vitamin D Supplements Aren't a Cure-all 45

5 Supplemental Antioxidants Increase the Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease 59

6 Testosterone for "Low T" Is Dangerous and Unnecessary 70

7 Baby Aspirin Doesn't Prevent First Strokes or First Heart Attacks 84

Part III Food and Over-the-Counter Products

8 Embrace Allergenic Foods for Infants 97

9 The False Security of Sunblock 102

10 Avoid Reflux Medicines for Fussy Babies 109

Part IV Cancer Screening

11 Prostate Cancer Screening Programs Do More Harm Than Good 117

12 Thyroid Cancer Screening Programs Don't Save Lives 124

13 Breast Cancer Screening Programs Aren't Exactly as Advertised 133

Part V Surgery

14 Heart Stents Don't Prolong Lives 147

15 Surgery for Knee Arthritis Is Unnecessary 156

16 Don't Remove Mercury Dental Fillings 168

Part VI Common Beliefs

17 Vitamin C Doesn't Treat or Prevent Colds 187

18 Don't Ice Sprains 197

19 Teething Doesn't Cause Fever 202

Epilogue: Choosing Wisely 205

Acknowledgments 213

Notes 215

Index 267

Editorial Reviews

In this audiobook, Paul Offit chronicles 15 common practices that are routinely prescribed by physicians that offer no benefit or can even be harmful to patients. Narrator Tim Dixon describes these procedures in a strong, vibrant voice, but as he confirms that there is either no effect or possible harm, a tone of disbelief seeps in. Mind you, these are credentialed physicians who are prescribing baby aspirin for preventing blood clots (it adds no protection to patients) or telling a person with a sprained ankle to ice it (wrong), and yet they keep doing it. Listeners may want to hear this twice to take in all the information given. E.E.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile