“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” So said Sophie Tucker, long ago. It’s still true. A recent study in JAMA demonstrated that if life expectancy was extrapolated from age 40, American males in the top 1% of income would live 15 years longer than the bottom 1%; among women the life expectancy difference […]
The Most Important Learning (10/13/14)
It’s time for a very short quiz. Do you learn more – Taking a walk across an abandoned car park Or Studying for a required calculus test? Teachers, academics and most folks will probably choose #2. Even if we don’t like calculus, we’re taking a test. That’s gotta be important. Yet most human learning does […]
Is ADD a Sleep Disorder? (5/6/13)
The Newest Epidemic ADD is now “epidemic” across America. With 13% of adolescents “diagnosed” in national surveys, people want to know just how big a problem ADD is. A recent article by psychiatrist by Vatsal Thakkar in the NY Times argued much of ADD may be misdiagnosed sleep disorders. Himself once diagnosed as suffering from […]
Post-Election Depression? (11/19/12)
Who’s Depressed? Some of my medical colleagues thought I would see patients sleepless and unhinged, suffering “post-election depression.” I haven’t seen it. Bodies regenerate themselves continuously. They never stay the same, always rebuilding, from the beginning to the end of life. Countries do the same. Populations are born, immigrate, emigrate, grow up and die witnessing […]
Who Will Pay For Health Care? (11/13/12)
So Where’s the Money? The election is over. Who will now pay for health care? There’s a simple answer – you will. Where Will You See Increased Costs? First through higher co-pays. The Affordable Care Act does little to control health insurance pricing or capriciousness (we paid for it last week but we decided against […]