Dr. John Abramson

Biography:

John Abramson, M.D., has worked as a family doctor in Appalachia and in Hamilton, Massachusetts, and has served as chairman of the department of family practice at Lahey Clinic. He was a Robert Wood Johnson fellow and is currently on the clinical faculty at Harvard Medical School, where he teaches primary care. He was twice voted best doctor in his area by readers of the local newspapers and three times selected by his peers as one of a handful of best family practitioners in Massachusetts.

Past Shows:

	Perceptions & Healthcare
	Thursday August 6, 2009

During the first half of the show, head of the Lab for Perception and Action at Baylor College, Dr. David Eagleman talked about how he's reshaped the debate of creationists vs. evolutionists with a third option called "possibilians." In the latter half of the progam, Dr. John Abramson discussed healthcare reform. One of the main problems with healthcare in U.S. is that it is among the most costly in the industrialized world, yet Americans rank poorly compared to other countries in overall health-- so we are not getting a good value for our money, he said. ... More
Host: George Noory

	American Medicine & Psychic Predictions
	Monday December 8, 2008

During the first half of the show, Dr. John Abramson discussed the commercialization of American medicine. The pharmaceutical industry is geared towards maximum profit rather than maximum health, he commented. Appearing in the latter half of the program, psychic Joseph Jacobs shared his predictions and intuitions for 2009 and beyond. ... More
Host: George Noory

	Suspicious Drug Studies
	Saturday April 26, 2008

Dr. John Abramson discussed the breaking scandal of ghostwritten drug trials which puts the actual efficacy of many new drugs into question. He also talked about other ethical issues surrounding the pharmaceutical industry, such as the medication of children and the misuse of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Abramson detailed the systemic problem of reputable doctors being paid to be named as authors of studies that are really written by drug company employees. He explained that the endorsing doctors are not allowed to see the data cited in these studies and must, instead, depend on the results put forth by the in-house authors. According to Abramson, the drug companies then use the self-written reports to help market the medicines to physicians who trust the doctors' endorsements. "We're seeing the typical modus operandi of the drug industry 'informing' doctors about the scientific research," he said. On the subject of medicating children in America today, Abramson said, "w ... More
Host: Ian Punnett

	Health Care & Drug Companies
	Wednesday May 17, 2006

Dr. John Abramson of Harvard Medical School addressed issues surrounding health care, medical studies and the pharmaceutical industry. Most drug studies are funded by pharmaceutical companies who have a financial conflict of interest, and there is a five times greater chance that the study will find in favor of the drug, than when an independent study is done, he reported. Pharmaceutical firms have a "virtual monopoly" on new products and face no price controls (as they do in every other country besides the United States). Also, most countries except for the U.S. don't allow direct-to-consumer marketing, such as in TV commercials. Lobbyists who work for the drug companies, outnumber U.S. lawmakers 2-to-1, he added. We spend twice as much in the U.S. on health costs, yet people don't live as long as they do elsewhere, and 1/3 of American health care is either unnecessary or harmful--that's $650 billion a year on "wasted health care," said Abramson. He argued for the necessity of u ... More
Host: George Noory

	Numerology Review
	Thursday January 5, 2006

Professional numerologist Glynis McCants returned to review her 2005 forecast, present some highlights for 2006, and offer readings for callers. She had correctly predicted Michael Jackson's acquittal as well as storms and water disturbances taking place in 2005. The new year is an "8" (2+0+0+6 = 8) and will deal with the fiscal side of things. It's a perfect year to increase value in your life, she said, but it's also a "year of justice" so that if "you're up to no good, you'll be caught in this cycle." For those following her method for increasing money in their life by carrying a #8 in their wallet, she suggested repeating the following affirmation for 15 minutes each day: "I believe in infinite abundance and my needs are always met." McCants also offered her interpretation of repeatedly seeing certain numbers, such as 1111which means the universe is open to what you want, and 111 which indicates it's time to speak up. ... More
Host: George Noory

	The Biaviians
	Saturday December 10, 2005

Alien contactee Riley Martin shared his experiences aboard a mothership near Saturn, where he learned about a race called the Biaviians (BE-AH-VEANS). Martin claims to have been taken to the Biaviian spacecraft as a small child, though for 35 years he did not remember this childhood encounter, he explained. While aboard the mothership, Martin said the Biaviians downloaded "digital-neurological scenarios" from their alien archives into his brain, which gave him knowledge of the secrets of the universe, as well as the ability to relieve pain with mere touch.Having lost their capacity for "extreme emotions," Martin said the logic-bound Biaviians admire mankind's passionate nature, which he noted as one of the reasons they continue to interact with humans. ... More
Host: Ian Punnett

	Health Care & History of Giants
	Saturday August 20, 2005

In the first hour, Dr. John Abramson, a clinical instructor at the Harvard Medical School and author of Overdosed America, called the state of America's health care system a "national emergency."According to Abramson, 40% of the most quoted medical studies do not stand up when the studies are repeated. Abramson pointed out that most clinical studies are funded by drug companies, and are five times more likely to show a given drug works.Abramson also revealed that Americans are paying twice as much for health care than the citizens of 21 other industrialized nations, yet living less time in good health. At least 30% of health care received by Americans is not necessary and is often harmful, he explained, resulting in a staggering $600 billion in wasted health care costs.Steve Quayle discussed the origins and historical accounts of giants. ... More
Host: Ian Punnett

	Nuclear Plant Safety
	Tuesday February 1, 2005

Nuclear safety engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists, David Lochbaum, discussed the status and safety of the 103 nuclear plants in America. A lot of safety features were built into the plants, he noted. But at a number of the now aging facilities the "weakest link" is "too close to the surface," and complacency and neglect have become common place, he said. The U.S. currently derives around 20% of its energy from nuclear power. Though this technology generates less global warming and pollution than carbon based systems such as coal burning, nuclear costs may not have been fully realized yet, Lochbaum pointed out. For instance, the storage of nuclear waste can lead to hazardous environmental situations that would be expensive or difficult to clean-up if something went wrong. Lochbaum also touched on the issue of nuclear plants as terrorist targets. He detailed that the plants are surrounded by high barbed wire fences and that the reactors are protected by a heavy enca ... More
Host: George Noory

	Health Scare
	Thursday November 25, 2004

Dr. John Abramson, a clinical instructor at the Harvard Medical School, discussed his book Overdosed America, which explains how the American health care system has been hijacked by pharmaceutical companies searching for increased profits.Abramson said drug companies have infiltrated all legitimate sources of medical information, allowing them to produce "the knowledge that makes us believe we need their products." He estimated that 70-80% of medical journal articles are strongly influenced by commercialized drug interests. According to Abramson, research sponsored by pharmaceutical companies is five times more likely to show a given drug favorably.As an example, Abramson cited a study conducted by drug manufacturer Merck of its own arthritis medicine Vioxx. He claimed Merck knew in 2000 that Vioxx increased heart attack and stroke risk in patients taking the drug, and caused 21% more serious complications than older rival drug Naproxen (sold under the name Aleve). Desp ... More
Host: George Noory