Lots of people drink. Most think they “don’t drink too much.” They “only drink socially.” Or “just a couple of drinks a few nights of the week.” But when it comes to health, how much is enough? A new study looking a national guidelines has come up with surprising results. The short answer is “less is […]
Marketing Medical Marijuana
Mother’s Milk California’s Big Daddy Jesse Unruh often intoned, “money is the mother’s milk of politics,” yet today we can say “money is the mother’s milk of medicine.” Any industry which takes up 17-18% of the economy leaves a lot of cash slashing around. And the latest entrant to the giant cash prize of $3.3 trillion a year […]
Fat Future
Will today’s millenials become the fattest generation in American history? If what is happening to British youngsters is a guide, future American adults may suffer from unprecedented levels of cancer and diabetes. Cancer Research UK recently released a study showing Britons born between 1980 and 1995 will by middle age be 70% overweight or obese. And that’s […]
Are Prescription Drugs Truly Safe?
Are prescription drugs truly safe? Depends on how well and how long you look. When I was discovered on endoscopy to have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD,) my gastroenterologist told me I should immediately go on proton pump inhibitors, known as PPIs. They were extremely efficacious. “And they’re safe. I’ve been on one for 16 years. […]
Survivor Bias and Health Care
Why should I pay for anyone else’s health care? is a sentiment frequently expressed. Congressmen like Mo Brooks point out that the “good, healthy” people should not be “subsidizing” the care of others. So how did we come to the point where leaders believe the risks of life, its uncertainty and luck, do not apply to […]