Slowing the "Statins for Everyone!" Train

Here's what we're checking out today:

Health Reform: Ron Shinkman of FierceHealthFinance points out that if recovering Rep. Gabrielle Giffords decided to step down and need her own health insurance, she'd likely be uninsurable on the individual market if the Republican-led effort to repeal health reform succeeds (it won't).

Heart Disease: Could a new Cochrane review slow the "statins for everyone!" train? It shows that the cholesterol-lowering drugs don't do much for patients at low risk for heart disease, ABC News reports.

Wakefield: The venerable Lancet medical journal buried early evidence casting doubt on Andrew Wakefield's now discredited autism-vaccine study, reports journalist Brian Deer, in the latest installment of his blockbuster British Medical Journal investigation of Wakefield.

Nutrition: Bring on the broccoli: new research suggests we may need more than the oft-cited "5 a day" servings of fruits and vegetables, reports Tim Locke for WebMD Health News.

Alternative Medicine: In the blog Science-Based Medicine, Dave Gorski smacks popular (and Oprah-approved) TV doctor Mehmet Oz for featuring the controversial alternative medicine promoter Joseph Mercola on his show.

Photo Credit: Ali Karimian via Flickr