Dieter Köhler (doctor)

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Heinz Dieter Köhler (born June 23, 1948 in Marburg ) is a German physician , university professor and engineer .

Life

After leaving school, Köhler began an apprenticeship as a radio and television technician in 1964. He then studied communications engineering from 1967 at the Giessen University of Applied Sciences . Köhler finished his studies in 1970 with a diploma in communications engineering . He then worked in the industry in the field of development of integrated circuits and began studying medicine at the University of Freiburg in 1972 . In the meantime, he developed electrical medical devices.

Köhler received his doctorate in 1978 on calcium-borne action potential in electrophysiology. Later he trained as an internist, pulmonologist and allergologist. From 1982 to 1986 Köhler was also chairman of the imaging section of the European Respiratory Society . In the meantime, he spent three months at McMaster University, Canada, in 1982 . In 1985 he completed his habilitation with a thesis on aerosol deposition and bronchial clearance.

From 1986 to 2013 Köhler was medical director of the Grafschaft monastery hospital in Schmallenberg. In 1992 he became an adjunct professor at the University of Freiburg . Two years later he was re-qualified at the University of Marburg with a professorship from the State of Hesse. In July 2013, Köhler retired.

Köhler is the owner of thirteen patents in the field of medicine, including one for a breathing tube, registered by the manufacturer Willy Rüsch (now part of Teleflex).

From 2002 to 2004 he was Vice President and then from 2005 to 2007 President of the German Society for Pneumology (DGP) based in Marburg / Lahn. In addition, Köhler was President of the Association of Pneumological Clinics from 1989 to 2014.

He was also a member of several specialist societies and a member of the expert committee for medical liability issues of the Westphalia-Lippe Medical Association . He was also an expert for the Federal Health Office from 1990 to 2005 .

In 2015, Köhler resigned as editor of the specialist journal "Pneumologie Kompakt" because his critical comment on a study commissioned by the pharmaceutical company Novartis was not printed.

Köhler lives in Schmallenberg , is married and has two children.

Position paper on air pollution, fine dust and nitrogen oxides

Since around the end of 2016 / beginning of 2017, Köhler has been trying to put his opinion, which contradicts the scientific consensus , into the media that air pollution does not have any noteworthy negative consequences for health. Among other things, according to the Süddeutscher Zeitung , he wrote emails to “doctors to journalists” and described “reports on the health effects of air pollutants” as “ fake news ”. He accused journalists who refused to report on his opinions of wanting to "keep silent" the subject. From 2018 he finally found a hearing in the media.

At the beginning of 2019, Köhler published the position paper "Statement on health risks from environmental air pollution, especially fine dust and nitrogen compounds (NO x )", in which he denied the views shared by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health organizations on health risks from air pollution, fine dust and nitrogen oxides . In his opinion, there is no scientific basis for the applicable upper limits for nitrogen oxides, many studies on the dangers of air pollution have major weaknesses and the underlying data are interpreted unilaterally. At the same time, he suggested that the nitrogen oxide researchers were partial, while he emphasized that he had no conflict of interest. Co-authors of the position paper are the engineering scientist Thomas Koch, who has long been active in the automotive industry, the internist, pulmonologist as well as medical hospital director and chief physician of the Clinic for Pneumology at the Hospital of the Red Cross (RKK) in Stuttgart, Martin Hetzel and the director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Transport and Infrastructure Systems IVI in Dresden Matthias Klingner.

He sent this position paper to the members of the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine , which had also published a position paper with contradicting statements in December 2018. Thereupon 113 people or approx. 3% of the approximately 3800 people contacted, mostly pulmonologists, signed the position paper. The opinion received a lot of public attention. Politicians from the CSU, FDP and AfD as well as the Central Association of the German Motor Vehicle Industry welcomed the statements and, on the basis of them, demanded legislative changes such as B. the suspension of limit values ​​or their review, while EU Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella and the Federal Environment Ministry rejected Köhler's statements as factually incorrect, referring to the state of research.

Several scientists and medical organizations sharply criticized the statements in the position paper. The Federal Association of Pulmonologists, Sleep and Respiratory Medicine (BdP), based in Heidenheim an der Brenz, rejected Köhler's statements and emphasized that the statements "in no way reflect the opinion of German pulmonologists". Bernd Lamprecht, General Secretary of the Austrian Society for Pneumology (ÖGP), also rejected Köhler's arguments as false and emphasized that there was “no scientific doubt” about the dangers of fine dust. The environmental physician Barbara Hoffmann, professor of epidemiology at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf , accused Köhler, among other things, of making false statements and of ignoring "the really overwhelming evidence" in scientific studies that "couldn't be ignored". Nino Künzli, Vice Director of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and President of the Federal Commission for Air Hygiene (EKL), accused Köhler of his “expectation that you can see from the patient that air pollution played a role "Was a" completely unscientific "one. With regard to air pollutants, there are around 30,000 studies. He also pointed out that the topic was scientifically undisputed and described Köhler as a layman. The other signatories also did not research the topic themselves. Künzli as well as the environmental physicians Roy M. Harrison, Michael Brauer and Jonathan Grigg also commented in more detail on the content of the paper. They emphasized the epidemiological evidence on the topic and rejected Köhler's individual arguments.

Köhler's expertise was also questioned by the media. When asked, he admitted that he had not published a single peer-reviewed study on nitrogen oxides in his career , but only a single, non-peer-reviewed article in the Ärzteblatt . Because of the co-authorship of engine developers, critics also voiced allegations of lobbying and pointed to parallels to other forms of denial of science , in which in the past "dubious experts" from the fossil energy industry or the tobacco industry had tried to deny the existence of climate change or the health risks the tobacco belittle.

The pulmonologist and founder of the insaf Institute for Respiratory Research in Wiesbaden, Kai Michael Beeh, criticized the fact that the appeal neither contained scientific arguments nor cited studies, but only made mere claims. He also criticized the type of reporting on the call, in which, among other things, resident doctors were turned into renowned scientists and researching scientists were accused of lying. A position paper of the German Society for Pneumology with more than 50 pages and countless other studies on the topic, published just two months earlier, was simply ignored.

On February 5, 2019, Köhler, together with the CDU MEP and NRW top candidate for the European elections, Peter Liese , campaigned in Brussels and at the European Parliament in Strasbourg for a new scientific review of the limit values ​​for fine dust and nitrogen oxide applicable in the European Union .

On February 13, 2019, the daily newspaper taz published that Köhler had used false calculations when comparing the pollutants of the air we breathe in inner cities with that of cigarette smoke . In his position paper, he not only made serious methodological errors and made incorrect assumptions, but also miscalculated several times, sometimes by orders of magnitude. After correcting the calculation errors, contrary statements would emerge in central claims. Köhler initially admitted his calculation errors, but did not see the "overall statement" of his paper as a result. With a press release dated February 17, 2019, the four authors of the statement finally rejected the taz's criticism. The “alleged miscalculation” is “incomprehensible.” Cigarette smoking is an experiment that disproves epidemiological studies that assume the toxicity of fine dust and hundreds of thousands of deaths. For NO x , "the calculation of a cumulative dose, as stated by the taz, is nonsensical." The taz pointed out in a new article that the argument of the cumulative dose was the "central core" of Köhler's own argumentation.

In the course of the public discussion, Chancellor Angela Merkel asked the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina to deal with air pollution and its health consequences. This published a statement in April 2019. It emphasizes that air pollution in Germany has been decreasing for decades. However, a further reduction should be aimed for, since nitrogen oxides and fine dust are still among the “problematic air pollutants”. In comparison to nitrogen dioxide, fine dust is classified as significantly more harmful to health.

Awards

  • Adolf Windorfer Prize of the Federal Association of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) in 1990 (for studies on the amiloride effect and cough clearance in cystic fibrosis)
  • Health Prize of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia - Working Group Pneumological Clinics in 2001 (for evolutionary quality control in diagnostics and therapy in hospitals)
  • Thomas T. Mercer Award of the American Society for Aerosol Research and the International Aerosol Society in Medicine 2009 (for research work on the inhalation of insulin and the method of radioactive labeling of aerosol particles from metered dose aerosols as well as for measuring lung cleaning by the cilia in the airway mucosa)

Fonts (selection)

  • Dieter Köhler: Changes in the force of contraction and the Ca ++ carried action potential on the warm-blooded myocard (=  dissertation at the Medical Faculty of the University of Freiburg ) caused by hyperosmolarity . Freiburg (Breisgau) 1978 (42 pages).

Köhler published various specialist articles.

  • with Wolfgang Fleischer, Heinrich Matthys: Inhalation therapy . Gedon & Reuss, 1986.
  • with Bernd Schönhofer, Thomas Voshaar: Pneumology - A Guide to Rational Action in Clinic and Practice . Thieme, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-13-146281-7 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Dieter Köhler: Changes in the force of contraction and the Ca ++ carried action potential on the warm-blooded myocard caused by hyperosmolarity . Inaugural dissertation. Freiburg (Breisgau) 1978, DNB  790912821 (42 pages).
  2. ↑ Presentation of the author Prof. Dr. med. Heinz Dieter Koehler . In: Dieter Köhler, Bernd Schönhofer, Thomas Voshaar (Eds.): Pneumology - A Guide for Rational Action in Clinic and Practice . Thieme, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 3-13-146281-7 , p. VI ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  3. ↑ Lungenaerzte-im-Netz , accessed on April 9, 2012.
  4. ↑ NRZ article “Succession is in good hands” , accessed on April 2, 2017.
  5. ^ European Patent Office , accessed April 10, 2012.
  6. ↑ Apotheken-Umschau.de ( memento from June 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) accessed on April 9, 2012
  7. ↑ WP: Professor feels censored by the pharmaceutical industry, May 19, 2015
  8. ↑ Sott.net: Ex-chief physician resigned in protest: He was not allowed to name the pharmaceutical giant Novartis April 12, 2015
  9. ^ Lungenstiftung.de , accessed on April 9, 2012.
  10. ↑ How Doctors Reduced Health Risks . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , February 14, 2019. Accessed February 14, 2019.
  11. ↑ Dieter Köhler, Thomas Koch, Martin Hetzel, Matthias Klingner: Opinion on the health risk from environmental air pollution, especially fine dust and nitrogen compounds (NO x ). (PDF; 0.5 MB) December 17, 2018, accessed on January 27, 2019 .
  12. ^ A b Klaus F. Rabe , Claus F. Vogelmeier , Thomas Voshaar: NO x and fine dust - limit values ​​controversial among pulmonologists. In: lungenaerzte-im-netz.de. German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine (DGP) and German Lung Foundation, January 23, 2019, accessed on January 25, 2019 .
  13. ↑ How dangerous are nitrogen oxides? - Doctors argue about NOx limit values ​​- that's what it's about
  14. ↑ Koehler: Excitement completely artificial
  15. ^ Christian Frahm, Magdalena Hamm, Nefzger: Declaration by lung doctors. Diesel developer is co-author of the position paper. In: Spiegel Online . January 25, 2019, accessed on January 27, 2019 : “The position paper by pulmonologists on the subject of nitrogen oxide limit values ​​has prominent signatories. One of them is an advocate of diesel technology who already worked for Daimler. "
  16. ^ Ansgar Graw: CDU economic wing against limit values ​​and diesel driving ban . January 25, 2019 ( welt.de [accessed January 31, 2019]).
  17. ↑ Scheuer: Have to question the limit values ​​for particulate matter . In: BR24 , January 27, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  18. ↑ Are the fine dust and nitrogen oxide limit values ​​unfounded? . In: Die Zeit , January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  19. ↑ Fact check: Are pulmonologists opposed to nitrogen oxide limit values? . In: Ostseezeitung , January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  20. ↑ Pulmonologists reprimand pulmonologists advance on fine dust values . In: Ärztezeitung , January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  21. ↑ Fine dust: Doctors from Austria stand up against German colleagues . In: Der Standard , January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  22. ↑ Environmental doctor disagrees with pulmonologists . In: Deutschlandfunk , January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  23. ^ Health expert: "They are all laypeople" . In: Deutschlandfunk , January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  24. ↑ International experts on the opinion of pulmonologists. Science Media Center Germany, January 25, 2019, accessed on February 3, 2019 .
  25. ↑ Dieter Köhler: Fine dust and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ): A critical assessment of the current risk discussion. In: Deutsches Ärzteblatt. Volume 115, Number 38, 2018, ISSN  0012-1207 , ISSN  2199-7292 , Page A 1645–1650, September 21, 2018. Accessed January 25, 2019.
  26. ↑ Doubts about the expertise of the initiator doctor . In: taz , January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  27. ↑ Tie instead of informed . In: taz , February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  28. ↑ «Criticism completely unfounded»: Doctors argue about air pollution . In: Basler Zeitung , January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  29. ^ "Initiative from pulmonologists" also comes from a former Daimler employee . Lobbycontrol press release of January 24, 2019. Accessed January 26, 2019.
  30. ↑ "The critics of the WHO have waited a good moment" . In: Deutschlandfunk , January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  31. ↑ Holger Schulz, Stefan Karrasch, Georg Bölke et al .: Air pollutants and health . German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine eV, Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-9817734-4-6 ( pneumologie.de [PDF; accessed on February 7, 2019]).
  32. ↑ Two pages of claims, not a single evidence . In: Spiegel-Online , January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  33. ↑ Nitrogen oxide limit values ​​on the test bench . In: aerztezeitung.de , February 5, 2019. Accessed February 7, 2019.
  34. ↑ Pulmonologist Köhler calls for higher air quality limits in Brussels . In: aerzteblatt.de , February 5, 2019. Accessed February 7, 2019.
  35. ↑ Incorrect information about nitric oxide. Pulmonologist with numeracy difficulties . In: taz , February 13, 2019. Accessed February 13, 2019.
  36. ^ Pulmonologist corrects numbers . In: Stuttgarter-Zeitung.de , February 16, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  37. ↑ Dieter Köhler, Thomas Koch, Martin Hetzel, Matthias Klingner: VPK press release on incorrect presentation of the risk from air pollutants in the media. In: lungenaerzte-im-netz.de. German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine, German Lung Foundation, Association of Pneumological Clinics (VPK), February 17, 2019, accessed on February 21, 2019 .
  38. ↑ Pulmonologist and calculation errors. Trials and tribulations . In: taz , February 18, 2019. Accessed February 21, 2019.
  39. ↑ Clean air - nitrogen oxides and fine dust in the air: Basics and recommendations. Leopoldina , 2019, accessed April 10, 2019 .
  40. ^ Mukoviszidose eV: Winner of the Adolf Windorfer Prize. In: muko.info. Retrieved March 17, 2019 .
  41. ↑ Flyer - 52nd Congress of the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine e. V. (PDF; 320 kB) accessed on April 9, 2012
  42. ↑ [The] International Society for Aerosols in Medicine (ISAM): Awards. Chronology of Awardees. Retrieved May 2, 2019 (English, Thomas T. Mercer Award; jointly sponsored with the [American Association for Aerosol Research] AAAR).
  43. ^ Westfalenpost: High distinction for Professor Dieter Köhler. June 23, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2012 .
  44. ^ Fachkrankenhaus Grafschaft Monastery - Scientific Work ( Memento of October 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on April 9, 2012
personal data
SURNAME Koehler, Dieter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Koehler, Heinz Dieter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German physician, university professor and engineer
DATE OF BIRTH June 23, 1948
PLACE OF BIRTH Marburg