In Search of a Second Opinion

When patients turn to professional societies like the AMA or the American College of Physicians or the American Association of Pediatrics for vital health information, one might expect that the information is based on publications in prestigious medical journals of carefully designed and meticulously interpreted studies. Dr. Marty Makary, in his book Blind Spots, shows how wrong these assumptions can be.

Makary is a frequent commentator on health-related topics. He is a surgeon and surgical oncologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Blind Spots consists of several examples where the medical establishment has perpetuated a myth often based on a single academic’s opinion that became ingrained in the culture as “truth” despite the flimsiest of evidence. Using examples like avoiding exposure to peanuts in infants, producing an epidemic of peanut allergies, or denying the benefits of hormone replacement therapy in perimenopausal women, resulting in premature deaths and suboptimal health outcomes, Makary proves his case against groupthink in medicine. He goes on to rail against the overuse of antibiotics because of their potential for altering the microbial composition in the GI tract. Recent research shows that this effect of antibiotics may contribute to serious complications, including risks for cancer and cardiovascular disease.

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