I have never been so excited and so hopeful about government appointees, especially in the health sector!!! Soooooooooooo grateful! May intelligence, common sense and integrity squeeze out all the historical corruption, lies, and true evil from all these agencies!!!
Best new hire of all! I’ve read two of his books and he is so logical and scientific in his approach to public health. Of course, he and his boss will not see eye to eye on some things, but hoping RFK defers to Marty’s experience and deep expertise 🙏
I’m hoping that we’ll have a situation with RFK, Jay, and Marty where there will be really lively discussions with differences of opinion. That’s when really good and novel ideas emerge: when people dig deep, discuss/argue, and problem solving becomes innovative. That’s why bureaucracy and, certainly, woke culture can’t innovate. Go-along-to-get-along and cancel culture are creaking signs of the death of science and culture.
Agree but I hope those discussions are behind closed doors where they belong. No need for sound bites taken out of context and used against one or all.
As a side note, one of Marty's responses gave me a little twinge when mentioned the use of CGMs (continuous glucose monitors) in a broader population (beyond diabetes). He said "“Why are we requiring continuous glucose monitors to have a doctor’s prescription, when it’s good for people to use these monitors and learn about what they’re eating?” I have to believe he's been lobbied by Casey/Caley Means (check them out if you don't know who they are/what they do). From reading Marty's books, he is not one to spend money on drugs/diagnostics unless there is a true upside/value for patients and/or their doctors. Insurance pays for CGMs for people with diabetes (at least some of them), but his tossing of this idea out in this venue gave me pause.
in this case, he is totally right. imagine the savings if people were able to learn what foods eaten at what times do bad things to their blood sugar. i tried to get one for my borderline high blood sugar. since i eat pretty much very low carb, it's a mystery that could be solved if i wore a CGM for a few months (i am not over weight at all and exercise every day). but i couldn't even be considered until i cross a line into outright diabetes. i know private companies are working on CGMs that would not involve insurance and when they are ready, i'll consider getting one on my own
I’d have to check this out as I’m not familiar with the people you referenced. But just as a question, why do you think that’s a bad idea? People monitor their BP. Why do you think monitoring glucose levels would be a problem? Not arguing, just curious. So many patients I see are so lacking in knowledge about their basic body functions (and are so unhealthy) this doesn’t seem awful to me.
Re: the Means siblings are well-connected to RFK. Casey, the sister, runs a company called Levels that issues Rxs for CGMs @$200/month. The brother, Caley...well, not sure exactly how to describe him but he describes himself as a MAHA proponent and has received a lot of attention and has been handed a large microphone to bash Pharma and Food industry using a lot of exaggeration and lies.
Re CGMs...for those without any glucose disorder, there is no real understanding as to how to interpret the data coming out of the monitor...meaning, what is 'good', what isn't good. Is 150 too high, or it doesn't matter if my HbA1c is normal? Glucose levels normally fluctuate throughout the day...so just watching your number go up and down throughout the day doesn't have any value add, for normally healthy individuals. For those who are pre-diabetic, perhaps there is benefit, but to my knowledge, Insurance is not paying for it so that tells you that the value proposition hasn't been demonstrated (yet).
Got it. Well, I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon of “influencers” and it sure sounds like Casey has quite the bu$ine$$ going. I guess I was thinking more of the people I see who are young or relatively so who are obese. But that makes sense that, if there is no standard to compare against, it would be hard to gauge what the numbers mean. However, if I were pre-diabetic, I’d like to track myself (I’m a curious little booger) to see if I could spot trends. And, with all due respect, after dealing with insurance companies for years, their approval is not how I would gauge something’s validity. And all of this “circles back” to Vinay with his insistence on good studies. There are gajillions of good studies that could be developed right now. I’d love to see that happening!
Could you offer at least one example of the "exaggeration and lies" spread by Calley Means? I have read Dr. Casey Means' book, GOOD ENERGY, found it helpful and enlightening, and listened to a very interesting podcast where she and Calley were guests. I have not found anything that Calley says to sound exaggerated or misleading, but perhaps I've missed something. Looking forward to the specific examples. Thank you
50% of pharma clinical trials cannot be replicated:
-Truth: Pharma companies are required by regulation to conduct TWO Phase 3 clinical trials as part of their development plan in order to gain approval (drugs for rare diseases are usually exempted from this). Two studies are, de facto, replication.
- GSK and Merck are 'criminal enterprises'. Will simply say that this verges on slander, although I am not a lawyer.
I first heard of Dr. Marty Makary through Dr. Prasad's YouTube videos and later from this Substack. Last fall, I read Dr. Makary's book "Blind Spots" and have been looking forward to this day. I have encouraged many of my colleagues, who sometimes don't go beyond the headlines, to read "Blind Spots" and be prepared to listen to Dr. Makary’s testimony—this is precisely the kind of disruption the FDA needs. I am convinced that under his leadership, changes will be made thoughtfully and systematically—no chainsaw here; science and common sense will help restore the FDA's reputation.
Sorry but RFK, Jr. is an accomplished environmental attorney who knows his facts unlike the people who have been criticizing him these days. Nothing he says or does can be considered daffy! I suggest you read his books and look at the history of Children’s Health Defense. Do your homework please! I worked with people with developmental disabilities and autism is a very serious problem. And getting worse by the minute! Good luck!
Yes, an attorney. Not a physician. I hope he will defer to the very accomplished Dr. Makary on medical matters, most especially looking at science and not falling down conspiracy holes. Dr. Makary is a great pic. And he has the education and expertise in the medical field that RFK lacks.
From what I have seen, they are more alike than different! And please do some of your own research to see exactly what medical knowledge Mr. Kennedy has. Stop listening to the propaganda and mainstream narrative. He knows more than many conventional doctors I am afraid. Be informed!
Marianne please! Every health care person and physician I know, and I know thousands, disagrees with RFK Jrs bizarre view of vaccines and his belief in miasma theory.
There is so much misinformation out there about what Mr. Kennedy knows and does not know and lots of financial loss if he is proven right. I have personally followed him for years and have been very impressed with his knowledge and experience. I am a retired psychologist who did forensic work so I know how good attorneys have to be knowledgeable about the cases they try in court. Recall he took Monsanto/Bayer to Court for a person harmed by they products and won. That entailed lots of medical knowledge due to the person had cancer. And because he saw the destruction of families as head of CHD, he knows what autism can do to families. His views on vaccines are definitely not bizarre! Most physicians have no clue what goes into vaccines, have never read a vaccine package insert, and are trained by drug reps. They are also given lots of money to push them on unsuspecting people. Dr. James Lyons-Weiler has written several articles about the doctors who opposed his confirmation as HHS Secretary. I read all the MedScape etc. articles about how terrible he is due to lack of medical knowledge. I know what you are referring to. They are very wrong! We are very lucky to have him! Vaccines cause immeasurable damage in susceptible people.
I hope he gets rid of the Kill shots (aka mRNA platform injections) I refuse to call them vaccines since the amount of antigen per injection is unknown, bio distribution is unknown (pretty much every body system) and duration of spike production is unknown. (It’s not even measurable as to the quantity of the spike in the body.
👏 You’re right. They’ve never been vaccines in the traditional sense; that required a change of definition to “reduce hesitancy.” Even all the early “studies” accurately described the shots as gene therapy.
Oh, no doubt! That’s why it was put on the childhood schedule too. For a brief time, I naively thought the pediatricians wouldn’t actually give it to their patients.
Now the HHS can really get going on making some lasting positive changes that have been elucidated by Vinay and others. What a great team Trump has assembled! I am feeling very hopeful.
I could not be happier that we are getting someone who will be unbiased, open minded and grounded in science running the FDA. As evidenced by COVID, approval of medications has been fraught with pharmaceuticals influence. I look forward to seeing the difference and applaud the appointment.
It just seems to me that you use a bit too often the argument "they get the boot bc they were politically motivated".
It's probably correct for the WHO; it's probably correct for some other dozen of powerful entities (eg in USAID); but "political loyalty" Trump-style isn't something that people should be required to prove to get a job (with extremely rare exceptions).
Let's just say that the new administration believes that things will work better this way: and we will see if that's the case.
I have never been so excited and so hopeful about government appointees, especially in the health sector!!! Soooooooooooo grateful! May intelligence, common sense and integrity squeeze out all the historical corruption, lies, and true evil from all these agencies!!!
That RFK Jr., Jay Bhattacharya and Marty Makary are in charge after being pilloried during Covid is not only exciting but delicious.
Best new hire of all! I’ve read two of his books and he is so logical and scientific in his approach to public health. Of course, he and his boss will not see eye to eye on some things, but hoping RFK defers to Marty’s experience and deep expertise 🙏
I’m hoping that we’ll have a situation with RFK, Jay, and Marty where there will be really lively discussions with differences of opinion. That’s when really good and novel ideas emerge: when people dig deep, discuss/argue, and problem solving becomes innovative. That’s why bureaucracy and, certainly, woke culture can’t innovate. Go-along-to-get-along and cancel culture are creaking signs of the death of science and culture.
Agree but I hope those discussions are behind closed doors where they belong. No need for sound bites taken out of context and used against one or all.
As a side note, one of Marty's responses gave me a little twinge when mentioned the use of CGMs (continuous glucose monitors) in a broader population (beyond diabetes). He said "“Why are we requiring continuous glucose monitors to have a doctor’s prescription, when it’s good for people to use these monitors and learn about what they’re eating?” I have to believe he's been lobbied by Casey/Caley Means (check them out if you don't know who they are/what they do). From reading Marty's books, he is not one to spend money on drugs/diagnostics unless there is a true upside/value for patients and/or their doctors. Insurance pays for CGMs for people with diabetes (at least some of them), but his tossing of this idea out in this venue gave me pause.
in this case, he is totally right. imagine the savings if people were able to learn what foods eaten at what times do bad things to their blood sugar. i tried to get one for my borderline high blood sugar. since i eat pretty much very low carb, it's a mystery that could be solved if i wore a CGM for a few months (i am not over weight at all and exercise every day). but i couldn't even be considered until i cross a line into outright diabetes. i know private companies are working on CGMs that would not involve insurance and when they are ready, i'll consider getting one on my own
As it turns out, FDA approved the first OTC CGM, Dexcom's Stelo, so you can purchase without an Rx @ $89-99/month.
this makes me think that Casey's company, Levels, has some serious competition...she's charging around $200/month.
thanks, i'll look it up
I’d have to check this out as I’m not familiar with the people you referenced. But just as a question, why do you think that’s a bad idea? People monitor their BP. Why do you think monitoring glucose levels would be a problem? Not arguing, just curious. So many patients I see are so lacking in knowledge about their basic body functions (and are so unhealthy) this doesn’t seem awful to me.
Re: the Means siblings are well-connected to RFK. Casey, the sister, runs a company called Levels that issues Rxs for CGMs @$200/month. The brother, Caley...well, not sure exactly how to describe him but he describes himself as a MAHA proponent and has received a lot of attention and has been handed a large microphone to bash Pharma and Food industry using a lot of exaggeration and lies.
Re CGMs...for those without any glucose disorder, there is no real understanding as to how to interpret the data coming out of the monitor...meaning, what is 'good', what isn't good. Is 150 too high, or it doesn't matter if my HbA1c is normal? Glucose levels normally fluctuate throughout the day...so just watching your number go up and down throughout the day doesn't have any value add, for normally healthy individuals. For those who are pre-diabetic, perhaps there is benefit, but to my knowledge, Insurance is not paying for it so that tells you that the value proposition hasn't been demonstrated (yet).
Got it. Well, I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon of “influencers” and it sure sounds like Casey has quite the bu$ine$$ going. I guess I was thinking more of the people I see who are young or relatively so who are obese. But that makes sense that, if there is no standard to compare against, it would be hard to gauge what the numbers mean. However, if I were pre-diabetic, I’d like to track myself (I’m a curious little booger) to see if I could spot trends. And, with all due respect, after dealing with insurance companies for years, their approval is not how I would gauge something’s validity. And all of this “circles back” to Vinay with his insistence on good studies. There are gajillions of good studies that could be developed right now. I’d love to see that happening!
Could you offer at least one example of the "exaggeration and lies" spread by Calley Means? I have read Dr. Casey Means' book, GOOD ENERGY, found it helpful and enlightening, and listened to a very interesting podcast where she and Calley were guests. I have not found anything that Calley says to sound exaggerated or misleading, but perhaps I've missed something. Looking forward to the specific examples. Thank you
See the 2 key pieces which came out this year on Debbie Lerman's stack.
Here’s a few-the last is debatable whether it’s a ‘lie’ but it is certainly highly inflammatory. This comes from me listening to a Bari Weiss podcast:
Off the top of my head, there are 3 things that Calley Means says that are patently false:
Covd-19 vax is MANDATED (with emphasis from him) @ 6 months of age
-Truth: it is recommended, not mandated (link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/by-age/index.html)
50% of pharma clinical trials cannot be replicated:
-Truth: Pharma companies are required by regulation to conduct TWO Phase 3 clinical trials as part of their development plan in order to gain approval (drugs for rare diseases are usually exempted from this). Two studies are, de facto, replication.
- GSK and Merck are 'criminal enterprises'. Will simply say that this verges on slander, although I am not a lawyer.
I first heard of Dr. Marty Makary through Dr. Prasad's YouTube videos and later from this Substack. Last fall, I read Dr. Makary's book "Blind Spots" and have been looking forward to this day. I have encouraged many of my colleagues, who sometimes don't go beyond the headlines, to read "Blind Spots" and be prepared to listen to Dr. Makary’s testimony—this is precisely the kind of disruption the FDA needs. I am convinced that under his leadership, changes will be made thoughtfully and systematically—no chainsaw here; science and common sense will help restore the FDA's reputation.
This is the best news next to Jay heading the NIH and RFK in HHS....I feel like we hit a home run with these choices. Congrats to all three!
Thanks for your stellar choices president Trump !!
Bipartisan support (and any activities of the sort!) are sorely needed. A fine choice indeed.
Excellent news! Hoping RFK will listen to him.
Yes! Please reign in RFK Jr. when he gets daffy.
Sorry but RFK, Jr. is an accomplished environmental attorney who knows his facts unlike the people who have been criticizing him these days. Nothing he says or does can be considered daffy! I suggest you read his books and look at the history of Children’s Health Defense. Do your homework please! I worked with people with developmental disabilities and autism is a very serious problem. And getting worse by the minute! Good luck!
Yes, an attorney. Not a physician. I hope he will defer to the very accomplished Dr. Makary on medical matters, most especially looking at science and not falling down conspiracy holes. Dr. Makary is a great pic. And he has the education and expertise in the medical field that RFK lacks.
From what I have seen, they are more alike than different! And please do some of your own research to see exactly what medical knowledge Mr. Kennedy has. Stop listening to the propaganda and mainstream narrative. He knows more than many conventional doctors I am afraid. Be informed!
I am very informed, thanks.
Marianne please! Every health care person and physician I know, and I know thousands, disagrees with RFK Jrs bizarre view of vaccines and his belief in miasma theory.
This physician loves RFK Jr. you must know a bunch of sheep.
Do you believe in miasma theory? We’re all sheep. Some of us believe in a different shepherd.
There is so much misinformation out there about what Mr. Kennedy knows and does not know and lots of financial loss if he is proven right. I have personally followed him for years and have been very impressed with his knowledge and experience. I am a retired psychologist who did forensic work so I know how good attorneys have to be knowledgeable about the cases they try in court. Recall he took Monsanto/Bayer to Court for a person harmed by they products and won. That entailed lots of medical knowledge due to the person had cancer. And because he saw the destruction of families as head of CHD, he knows what autism can do to families. His views on vaccines are definitely not bizarre! Most physicians have no clue what goes into vaccines, have never read a vaccine package insert, and are trained by drug reps. They are also given lots of money to push them on unsuspecting people. Dr. James Lyons-Weiler has written several articles about the doctors who opposed his confirmation as HHS Secretary. I read all the MedScape etc. articles about how terrible he is due to lack of medical knowledge. I know what you are referring to. They are very wrong! We are very lucky to have him! Vaccines cause immeasurable damage in susceptible people.
https://pauloffit.substack.com/p/understanding-rfk-jr
I hope he gets rid of the Kill shots (aka mRNA platform injections) I refuse to call them vaccines since the amount of antigen per injection is unknown, bio distribution is unknown (pretty much every body system) and duration of spike production is unknown. (It’s not even measurable as to the quantity of the spike in the body.
👏 You’re right. They’ve never been vaccines in the traditional sense; that required a change of definition to “reduce hesitancy.” Even all the early “studies” accurately described the shots as gene therapy.
I wonder if the main reason the definition was changed in order to avoid liability?
Oh, no doubt! That’s why it was put on the childhood schedule too. For a brief time, I naively thought the pediatricians wouldn’t actually give it to their patients.
Scratch "I hope he" and replace with "we demand that he."
I hope Dr Makary will be able to withstand the inevitable pushback from the entrenched Big Pharma complex. We the People have been waiting!
Perhaps this is naive of me, but I feel hope.
I hope your right! The revolving door and conflict of interest has to stop!!
Now the HHS can really get going on making some lasting positive changes that have been elucidated by Vinay and others. What a great team Trump has assembled! I am feeling very hopeful.
I could not be happier that we are getting someone who will be unbiased, open minded and grounded in science running the FDA. As evidenced by COVID, approval of medications has been fraught with pharmaceuticals influence. I look forward to seeing the difference and applaud the appointment.
Marty is going to be an amazing commissioner! We are fortunate to have him!
It just seems to me that you use a bit too often the argument "they get the boot bc they were politically motivated".
It's probably correct for the WHO; it's probably correct for some other dozen of powerful entities (eg in USAID); but "political loyalty" Trump-style isn't something that people should be required to prove to get a job (with extremely rare exceptions).
Let's just say that the new administration believes that things will work better this way: and we will see if that's the case.
For the appointment: great!
amen!
My favorite doctor.