We’re number one. But that is not good news because the U.S. is number one in the world for medical radiation. Yes, that’s right that Americans get the most medical radiation exposure in the world. It is increasingly known that one of the most common and insidious ways Americans are over-tested and over-treated is the use of diagnostic tests that involve the use of medical radiation. To read further Click here
Dr. John Gofman has sounded the alarm on medical radiation for many years Dr. Gofman, Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology in the University of California at Berkeley, and Lecturer at the Department of Medicine, University of California School of Medicine at San Francisco, is the expert to whom the Atomic Energy Commission turned in the early 1960s to study the biological effects of radiation. To read further about his work Click Here.
One of his most profound works was an independent review of medical radiation and its links to heart disease and cancer, Radiation-Induced Cancer from Low-Dose Exposure: a Independent Analysis, 480 pages (1990).
It is only of recent that the medical profession itself has begun to question the multiple sources of medical radiation, often when administered to their family members. Click here to read further
The realization that there are more CT scanners in Pittsburgh than all of Canada is also in the mix. Access, over-use, and the under appreciation of the consequences of medical radiation have all combined to create an alarming situation. Medical radiation is a cumulative exposure to our DNA and the consequences of this is just beginning to be acknowledged. In the Alliance for Natural Health-USA’s newsletter Pulse of Natural Health, there have been several articles that focus on medical radiation and consumer safety and education issues.
For further reading please select one of the links below.
https://anh-usa.org/fda-ignored-urgent-warnings/
https://anh-usa.org/expensive-dangerous/
https://anh-usa.org/nih%e2%80%99s-new-radiation-policy/
https://anh-usa.org/safety-of-radiation-questioned/
https://anh-usa.org/no-single-%e2%80%98right-way%e2%80%99/
Consumers and professionals alike are often educated to ask the following question “What is the least dose of radiation that can be used to produce a readable scan?” It is increasingly clear that doses far in excess of those necessary are used without the appreciation of the possible harm. Techniques are now recognized that can reduce the dose of radiation in medical scans by up to 90%. It is also acknowledged ever more that our DNA accumulates radiation from these medical sources with risks associated with larger exposures. So, the radiation from your dentist throughout your life, x-rays from trips to the ER, CT scans, and procedures such as angioplasty, barium enemas, and the like all contributes to your total medical radiation exposure. Dr. Gofman and his colleagues have spoken of this lifetime exposure for over 4 decades and now the FDA “is pushing industry and doctors to develop a radiation medical record” to track our exposure to medical radiation from the cradle to the grave. Click here to read further.
A 2007 Columbia University study estimated that as much as 2 percent of all cancer in the US may be due to radiation from CT scans. The Duke University study that found patients get the equivalent of radiation from 850 chest x-rays in the first few days in the hospital is equally alarming. With Penn State studies that 33-90% of medicine practiced is defensive, that is, to avoid medical-legal consequences, our unnecessary exposure to medical radiation may be immense to even those concerned medical researchers. Educate yourself and educate your practitioner. How will this scan change my diagnosis or treatment? How much radiation will be I exposed to during this scan? What is the minimum dose of radiation that can be used to produce a readable study? What can I do (nutritionally such as ascorbic acid and beta glucan) to mitigate the effects of medical radiation? These are must- questions for any educated healthcare consumer. It is critical that there is no further delay to educate consumers and practitioners alike to the risks as well as the benefits from the use of medical radiation in diagnosis and treatment.
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