NatWonk – Dr Bier's Research Reviews – Page 3

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Stability in Patients Prescribed Synthetic or Desiccated Thyroid Products: A Retrospective Study

November 3, 2025

Comment: This is a fascinating retrospective study that directly challenges a core assumption in conventional endocrinology. The prevailing dogma is that synthetic levothyroxine provides superior TSH stability, with desiccated thyroid extract (DTE) often dismissed as an inconsistent or unstable option. However, this real-world data demonstrates that for the primary clinical goal—keeping a patient’s TSH within […]

Desiccated thyroid extract compared with levothyroxine in the treatment of hypothyroidism: a randomized, double-blind, crossover study

November 3, 2025

| No Comments

| Levothyroxine-Desiccated Thyroid

Comment: This is a well-designed, double-blind, crossover trial putting DTE and levothyroxine head-to-head. The top line findings, that the primary outcomes for the whole group weren’t different, is a great start for substantiating that at the least Natural Desiccated Thyroid is equivalent to levothyroxine. However the secondary findings, although in a sub-group population are very […]

Levothyroxine and lung cancer in females: the importance of oxidative stress

November 1, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer, Levothyroxine-Desiccated Thyroid

Comment: While this ecological study is, as detailed in the appraisal, deeply flawed and certainly cannot be used to draw any causal conclusions, it raised a provocative, hypothesis-generating question. Further studies have substantiated that there are links between levothyroxine use and cancer. The proposed mechanism—oxidative stress—is biologically plausible. We know that thyroid hormones are powerful […]

Levothyroxine use and the risk of breast cancer: a nation-wide population-based case-control study

November 1, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer, Levothyroxine-Desiccated Thyroid

Comment: While this is an observational study and cannot prove causation, the findings are nonetheless concerning, especially as it’s not the only study showing an association of levothyroxine use and cancer. A nation-wide study identifying a 24% increase in the odds of breast cancer associated with levothyroxine use (AOR 1.24) warrants serious attention from the […]

Risk of cancer in long-term levothyroxine users: Retrospective population-based study

October 30, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer, Levothyroxine-Desiccated Thyroid

Comment: This is an important, large-scale population study, even with the weaknesses of the study design. An adjusted odds ratio of 1.50 for any cancer is a significant signal that cannot be easily dismissed, particularly given the strong associations noted for brain (AOR 1.90) and breast (AOR 1.24) cancers. While the authors rightly point out […]

RSV Vaccine Effectiveness Against Hospitalization Among US Adults Aged 60 Years or Older During 2 Seasons

October 29, 2025

| No Comments

| Vaccines

Comment: A critical takeaway from this real-world data is the apparent lack of protection for oncology patients. The finding for the immunocompromised subgroup—which includes many patients with active cancer or on immunosuppressive therapy—is stark. A vaccine effectiveness of 30% that is not statistically significant (95% CI, -9% to 55%) means we cannot conclude there is […]

No impact of fish oil supplements on bleeding risk: a systematic review

October 27, 2025

| No Comments

| Fish Oil-EFA

Comment: This is a crucial systematic review that directly addresses a common clinical misconception. For years, the standard advice has been to stop fish oil before surgery due to a theoretical risk of bleeding based on its known effects on platelet aggregation. What this review clearly demonstrates is that this theoretical risk does not […]

Fish Oil and Peri-operative Bleeding: Insights from the Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Prevention of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (OPERA) Randomized Trial

October 27, 2025

| No Comments

| Fish Oil-EFA

Comment: This study is a critical piece of evidence that directly challenges a long-standing piece of medical dogma. For decades, we have routinely advised patients to stop fish oil supplements before surgery, fearing an increased risk of bleeding. This was solely based on hypothesis. This robust analysis of the OPERA trial not only debunks that […]

OncWonk – Our Sibling Site

October 26, 2025

| No Comments

| Uncategorized

OncWonk – Oncology Research Reviews

Association of Skipping Breakfast with Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

October 24, 2025

| No Comments

| CVD-Cholesterol, Fasting

Comment: I am in general not a fan of intermittent fasting as my experience is it puts the body in a state of stress, which may give short term gains, but longer term negative outcomes. This is a study showing that skipping breakfast increases metabolic syndrome, including blood sugar, blood pressure, blood lipids and central […]