Unpopular Health Imagine a magic elixir that’s free and grants much longer life (12 years for men, 14 years for women.) Despite benefits radically dwarfing the advantages of all health care, the elixir is almost universally spurned. For to receive this magic elixir individuals must put up with what are commonly regarded as unacceptable intrusions: they must […]
Time to Think Before You Drink
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 […]
Is Much of Health Due to Luck?
Dementia and cancer have more in common than most people recognize. Two thirds of tumors appear to be the result of random mutations. And two thirds of dementia cases also appears to be basically random, with only about 35% responsive to lifestyle changes (so far.) The implications of this “odd” convergence is wide. First, for diseases with difficult or ineffective treatments, […]
How Can People Quit Smoking?
People know smoking kills. Smokers know they need to stop. Many can’t. Lots of clinicians feel smoking is the hardest addiction to end. So is using e-cigarettes a helpful way to get people to quit? Recent results appear to say yes. Yet American public authorities, like the CDC, deeply dislike e-cigarettes. They worry that e-cigarettes […]
Sitting Smoking Sleeping (6/18/13)
Going to Extremes Human beings love to test limits. For many it’s fun to drive a car. And if driving is fun, it’s also fun to simultaneously talk on the phone, eat a granola bar, read our emails, dictate a letter and watch TV. Except when we run someone over. Or slam into rear of […]