Evidence-Based Medicine Matters

Dr Richard Burnham

Freelance Writer

CAM proponents like to use the word 'holistic'. It seems to me that EBM is what offers truly holistic support for the patient and his or her family. I had a brother and sister who died around 30 years ago in their 20s/30s. They were born with cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common genetically-transmitted condition amongst people of western European descent. Although they died young, they were amongst the earliest CF patients to survive to adulthood. This was entirely due to increasing scientific knowledge of the disease. Research, including detailed understanding of the genetic mutations and their effects, now offers not only treatment with dietary supplements and antibiotics, but also early diagnosis, physiotherapy, high-dependency or intensive care where required and even lung transplants. There is genetic counselling for carriers or suspected carriers of the gene. Perhaps one day gene therapy may remove the threat of the disease. I’m sure that CF sufferers are not the only people who have been given the chance of leading fuller lives by advances in scientific medicine.