Conflict of Interest continues to be a significant challenge in the medical profession, and has really become a huge issue/problem especially in the nutrition space. I’ve decided to create a separate page on this site to declare mine (or lack thereof).
This post is about that update plus several examples below from well known organizations that I’ve come across.
My Information
Independence Statement
The views in this blog are strictly mine and should not be attributed to any organization mentioned on this site.
Medical advice from your own physician, not from this blog
Statements made on this blog should not be considered medical advice; individuals should seek the counsel of their personal physician for relevant information specific to their health situation.
Conflict of Interest statement
I do not have any financial interest or ties to, and have not received any honoraria, meals, or other consideration from, food, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, or device manufacturers.
I welcome a search on my name in any of the relevant databases, as well as the names of any other physicians who are advancing any points of view. A good place to start is Open Payments Data – CMS | CMS Open Payments Data
No advertising
This blog does not accept advertising and does not promote third party products or services.
Consulting/Organizational affiliations outside of my employment
- No consulting activity at this time
- Member, WELL Community Concept Advisory – see Joining the IWBI Global Network of Concept Advisories | International WELL Building Institute – WELL Community Concept advisory
Examples of conflict I’ve seen recently
- Editorial about conflict of interest, with numerous conflicts on the part of the author
2018.05.29 Low Carbohydrate Meetup, Washington, DC USA 441 (View on Flickr.com) -
“Healthful” seal (from the American Heart Association) on foods known to negatively impact heart health. In this case sugar sweetened cereals and pure fruit juice are promoted.
2018.05.30 Low Carbohydrate Meetup, Washington, DC USA 457 (View on Flickr.com)
Certain sugar sweetened cereals still earn an American Heart Association Certified seal in 2018, because they satisfy other criteria around fiber and fat content. An example of how faulty nutritional science drives potentially unhealthy behavior in the food industry.Sources: www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Heart-…; www.icantbelieveitsnotbutter.com/campaigns/whats-new/imag… ; Photos by Ted Eytan, MD, Washington, DC, Feb 4, 2018
www.flickr.com/photos/taedc/albums/72157693049063025 -
Consensus report by major health-related organizations (American Diabetes Association, and European Association for the Study of Diabetes). Conflicts are instead labeled “duality of interest,” implying that there may not be a conflict. I and others would disagree with this labeling.
The 2018 Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes, 2018 indicates progress in finally acknowledging alternative dietary approaches to therapeutic nutrition (referred to as “Medical Nutrition Therapy” or MNT”) However:
* Lifestyle modifications, cited as first line therapy, are discussed after 11 pages of pharmacologic therapy
* There are significant and extensive “duality of interest” (conflict of interest) disclosures by the author (payments from pharmaceutical interests)
Additionally:
* Studies cited are cherry-picked
* Different standards are applied to DASH (without long term data) vs Low-Carbohydrate approaches (with long term data)
* Dietary standards established for healthy people are used inappropriately in this audience with chronic illnessSource: Davies MJ, D’Alessio DA, Fradkin J, Kernan WN, Mathieu C, Mingrone G, et al. Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes, 2018. A Consensus Report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetes Care [Internet]. 2018 Oct 4;dci180033. Available from: doi.org/10.2337/dci18-00332018.10.24 Low Carb and Low Carbon 573
(View on Flickr.com)
