Health bulleting, 2015
For the list of top articles see Recommended Links section
- 20151205 : World's first anti-ageing drug could see humans live to 120 ( Dec 05, 2015 , Telegraph )
- 20151205 : Diabetes drug metformin could extend lives ( Dec 05, 2015 , Telegraph )
- 20151205 : Fixit What is the ideal winter indoor humidity level ( Nov 21, 2015 , StarTribune.com )
- 20151122 : Air Innovations MH-408-BLK Smart Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier, Black ( www.amazon.com )
- 20151106 : The effects of CO2 on cognitive ability ( Peak Oil Barrel )
- 20151105 : Fake herbal supplements are more common then you think ( observer.com )
- 20150830 : 15 Science-Backed Way4s To Fall Asleep Faster ( 15 Science-Backed Way4s To Fall Asleep Faster, Aug 30, 2015 )
- 20150731 : Dentists and Skin in the Game ( Dentists and Skin in the Game, Jul 31, 2015 )
- 20150731 : The Rise in Obesity ( 'The Rise in Obesity', )
- 20150724 : How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain ( Jul 24, 2015 , The New York Times )
- 20150714 : Healthy Brain, Happy Life A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better by Wendy Suzuki ( Healthy Brain, Happy Life A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better, Jul 14, 2015 )
- 20150709 : Cash-Crazed Doctor Gave Hundreds of Healthy Patients Fake Cancer Diagnoses ( Jul 09, 2015 , Sputnik International )
- 20150709 : Whistle-blower How doctor uncovered nightmare ( Whistle-blower How doctor uncovered nightmare, Jul 09, 2015 )
- 20150709 : Doctor Gives Patients Fake Cancer Diagnosis ( Jul 09, 2015 , WJBF-TV )
- 20150702 : Diabetes drug's happy side effect Weight loss ( The Washington Post )
- 20150626 : High-Fat, High-Sugar Diet Can Lead To Cognitive Decline ( Slashdot )
- 20150626 : Study shows that use of statins increases risk of developing diabetes by 46% ( Study shows that use of statins increases risk of developing diabetes by 46%, )
- 20150408 : Arts and crafts enthusiasts are 75% less likely to suffer memory loss ( Apr 8, 2015 , Daily Mail Online )
- 20150408 : It confuses your body - Why You Should Stop Drinking Diet Soda ( Health.com )
- 20150202 : Sciences Biggest Failure: Everything About Diet and Fitness ( Feb 02, 2015 , Soulskill )
Notable quotes:
"... Although it might seem like science fiction, researchers have already proven that the diabetes drug metformin extends the life of animals, and the Food and Drug Administration in the US has now given the go ahead for a trial to see if the same effects can be replicated in humans. ..."
"... If successful it will mean that a person in their 70s would be as biologically healthy as a 50 year old. It could usher in a new era of 'geroscience' where doctors would no longer fight individual conditions like cancer, diabetes and dementia, but instead treat the underlying mechanism – ageing. ..."
The world's first
anti-ageing drug will be tested on humans next year in trials which could see diseases like
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's consigned to distant memory.
Scientists now believe that it is possible to actually
stop people growing old as quickly and help them live in good health well into their 110s and
120s.
Although it might seem like science fiction, researchers have already proven that the diabetes
drug metformin extends the life of animals, and the Food and Drug Administration in the US has
now given the go ahead for a trial to see if the same effects can be replicated in humans.
This would be the most important medical intervention in the modern era, an ability to slow
ageing"
Dr Jay Olshansky, University of Illinois Chicago
If successful it will mean that a person in their 70s would be as biologically healthy as a 50
year old. It could usher in a new era of 'geroscience' where doctors would no longer fight
individual conditions like cancer, diabetes and dementia, but instead treat the underlying
mechanism – ageing.
Scottish ageing expert Professor Gordon Lithgow of the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing
in California, is one of the study advisors.
"If you target an ageing process and you slow down ageing then you slow down all the diseases
and pathology of ageing as well," he said "That's revolutionary. That's never happened before.
"I have been doing research into ageing for 25 years and the idea that we would be talking
about a clinical trial in humans for an anti-ageing drug would have been though inconceivable.
"But there is every reason to believe it's possible. The future is taking the biology that
we've now developed and applying it to humans. 20 years ago ageing was a biological mystery. Now
we are starting to understand what is going on."
British researchers believe that metformin used to treat type 2 diabetes could also extend
lives.
The team at University College London, who published their findings in the journal Science,
believe the medication blocks a particular genetic pathway that in mice led to them extending
their lifespan by a fifth.
The research found the drug had significant health benefits boosted the life expectancy of
mice by 160 days – around a fifth longer than expected.
Scientists believe that the drug metformin may have a similar effect on humans.
"The mice lived longer and were leaner, more active and generally healthier than the control
group," said Professor Dominic Withers, one of the authors.
"We added 'life to their years' as well as 'years to their lives'."
His colleague Dr David Gems added: "We are suddenly much closer to treatments for ageing than
we thought.
"The next logical step is to see if drugs like metformin can slow the ageing process in
humans."
Q My house was so dry this winter that I was having nosebleeds. I bought a humidifier
and that helped, but now I have so much ice on my windows I cannot see out of them. I read about
solutions to excess window condensation in an earlier column, but I can't afford new windows and
I don't want to live with such dry indoor air. What's the solution?
A You have discovered one of the conundrums of living in climates as cold as
ours.
Research indicates that for health and comfort, a relative indoor humidity of 40 to 60 percent
is desirable. But keeping the air that moist over the course of a winter is more than most Minnesota
homes can handle.
Water or ice will appear on windows, and if there's moisture on windows, it's also likely to be
collecting, unseen, in wall and attic cavities. A few seasons of that, and building materials --
sheathing, studs and woodwork -- will begin to rot. Eventually homeowners will have to pay for repairs
and replacements, but in the meantime, they may pay in another way -- poor health. Mold associated
with rotting building materials can make people sick.
Here's how dry indoor air becomes a problem in winter.
Cold air can't hold much water vapor, and the colder the air, the drier it is. That means winter
air that makes its way into the house through leaks, holes and combustion air ducts or is pulled
in by ventilation fans is going to be dry. Heating that air only makes it drier, and the result often
is low indoor humidity levels.For existing homes, the solution is to maintain indoor humidity
at a level that isn't so low as to cause nosebleeds, but isn't so high as to create moisture problems.
In your case, dry indoor air indicates that too much outdoor air is coming indoors. One can slow
the infiltration of this cold, dry air by caulking and sealing windows, doors and other leaking areas.
Stopping excessive cold air infiltration also saves on your heating bills. But do not plug the combustion
air return. It is necessary for the proper operation of your furnace.
But since you already have a humidifier, a good move right now is to adjust its operation so you
don't overhumidify your home. The guidelines below will help you do that. You'll need a hygrometer
(which measures relative humidity and is available at most hardware and home stores).
The following list, supplied by the Minnesota Department of Public Service, is based on a double-glazed
window and an indoor temperature of 70 degrees. You will notice that the lower the outdoor temperature,
the lower the indoor humidity should be.
- If outside temperature is 20 to 40 degrees, humidity indoors should not be more than 40 percent.
- If outside temperature is 10 to 20 degrees, humidity indoors should not be more than 35 percent.
- If outside temperature is 0 to 10 degrees, humidity indoors should not be more than 30 percent.
- If outside temperature is 10-below to 0, humidity indoors should not be more than 25 percent.
- If outside temperature is 20-below to 10-below, humidity indoors should not be more than 20
percent.
- If outdoor temperature is lower than 20-below, inside humidity should not be more than 15
percent.
If you are building a home or remodeling, demand high-quality windows. They should have U-values
of 0.35 or less. Such windows are less prone to cold-weather condensation and icing, which means
that indoor humidity can be higher.
This is a very attractively designed, nice looking unit. Quite a splash of 'eye candy'. It has large
4 liter (1.1 Gallon ) tank. The tank capacity is 1.1 gallon (4 liters). Full tank provides mist approximately
10 hours on high. More (they claim up to 70 hours strait) on low.
IMHO really improves nasal condition for those who suffer dry air exacerbated nasal congestion. Much
like moving to the shore.
Unlike many other similar humidifies in this price range the tank has two handles, which is very
convenient and lessen chances of dropping it as when full it is heavy.
Like any ultrasonic humidifier it is absolutely silent when working, which was the main attraction
for me.
They claim that it consume around 30 watt per hour which is pretty acceptable.
If you have a low mineral content water you are OK. If not your mileage may vary. They claim that
the unit needs to be cleaned weekly but it your water has a low mineral content once in two weeks is
OK too.
It reliably switches off when runs out of water.
The unit comes with one year non-transferable warranty.
There is a larger similar unit with 1.7 gallon tank (MH-701B-BLK) that has more reviews. Among reviewers
claims I picked up this one: "I have owned quite a few humidifiers and this one is hands down the best!
Quiet, easy, and most importantly it works!"
Notable quotes:
"... It works fine, meant for a medium sized room ..."
"... in dry winter weather, they last for about a day. They let you know they are empty by beeping at you, though. ..."
"... with the dry air in the winter time, this humidifier is a blessing. ..."
"... The humidifier is very quiet, even on high. My husband did not realize that it was on. ..."
Amazon Customer, November 9, 2015
It works fine, meant for a medium sized room
Color: Black Verified Purchase
I got a used one refurbished by amazon. It works fine, meant for a medium sized room. Best
i found in this price
Byjcbon, December 27, 2014
Bought 3 Like all (this is review of larger unit MH-701B-BLK)
We bought 3 of these and like them very well. Only thing wrong was we have to refill them and
in dry winter weather, they last for about a day. They let you know they are empty by beeping
at you, though. LOL
Marilyn LaPierreon, October 13, 2015
Am in love with this product!! (this is review of larger unit MH-701B-BLK)
Color: Black
Love, love, love this humidifier. We live in northern NY & my husband having a nose bleed problem
with the dry air in the winter time, this humidifier is a blessing. Before this I only
used huge floor console models from Sears and had to change out the filters 3 or 4 times a year,
haul buckets of water to them, the air coming out was cold and they were very, very noisy. This
Air Innovations is so quiet, and no filters to buy, I can take the tank to the sink and it is
very easy to regulate humidity in the house with the digital read out on the front. We are on
village water so no problems with the white dust I have seen in other comments from hard water.
Katieon, January 26, 2015
... owned few humidifiers and this one is hands down the best! Quiet
Color: BlackVerified Purchase
I have owned quite a few humidifiers and this one is hands down the best! Quiet, easy, and
most importantly it works! I love that there's a humistat function that goes above 60% and a most
function! For those complaining about white dust, use distilled water, your water has too many
minerals, plus you're wearing your machine down! I'm thinking about purchasing a second, and couldn't
be happier!
Linda Schwartzon, June 20, 2015
Would buy again.
Color: BlackVerified Purchase
The humidifier is very quiet, even on high. My husband did not realize that it was on.
I needed it because I had throat surgery and it is on 24/7. We have very hard water, so we
do not use tap water. We use water filtered through our Britain filter. No white residue while
using this method. Would defiantly buy again. It also arrived 3 days early.
Notable quotes:
"... Now also consider that the young folks today spend a lot of time inside compared to a few generations ago. They are also surrounded by a lot more CO2 sources and spend a lot of time on congested road surrounded by CO2 sources. Adults and children often exercise indoors. Assaulted by television and other electronic chatter wherever they go, breathing polluted air, eating polluted food full of chemical additives. Sometimes they actually go outside, to get in the car. Life in modern times. ..."
"... It breaks my heart to think of the handful of young kids in my own family growing up under these precise conditions. ..."
MarbleZeppelin,
11/04/2015
at 9:25 pm
This may explain a lot about the problems in the human race. They can't think because they
have carbonated brains. Article on the effects of CO2 on cognitive ability.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/10/26/3714853/carbon-dioxide-impair-brain/
Now also consider that the young folks today spend a lot of time inside compared to a few
generations ago. They are also surrounded by a lot more CO2 sources and spend a lot of time on
congested road surrounded by CO2 sources. Adults and children often exercise indoors. Assaulted
by television and other electronic chatter wherever they go, breathing polluted air, eating polluted
food full of chemical additives. Sometimes they actually go outside, to get in the car. Life in
modern times.
oldfarmermac,
11/05/2015
at 7:58 am
"Sometimes they actually go outside, to get in the car."
It breaks my heart to think of the handful of young kids in my own family growing up under
these precise conditions.
Compared to living on a farm in the mountains, a suburban house is hardly any better than a
jail in terms of a kid growing up knowing what life is all about.
If one of them grows up to become an engineer, he will learn all about physics and be totally
ignorant of the ACTUAL USE of a goddamned screwdriver and thus design cars, appliances, and machinery
that will drive some poor mechanic to go postal and start murdering engineers at random. Sarc.
Silicon Valley Observer,
11/05/2015
at 9:02 am
OFM, yes, it's true, we live in our suburban jail cell. And when we go out it's only to get
into our CO2 emitting vehicle to go to the CO2 emitting mall that sells crap nobody needs. This
is the suburban reality.
Years ago I tried to convince my wife that living in the country (where I grew up) would be
healthier for us and our son as well as good preparation for the future. But she grew up in a
city, only knows people who live in cities, can't imagine living near nature or, heaven forbid,
living animals. I have since given up. Maybe I will have a chance before I die to live again where
the smell of manure on the fields in spring is considered a welcome aroma.
MarbleZeppelin,
11/05/2015
at 9:45 am
oldfarmermac,
I do not think it is the suburbs that are the problem. Sure some of the isolated bedroom communities
are manically homogenous but most suburbs have lots of open spaces, streams, woods, fields and
vacant lots nearby. At least some of that within walking or biking distance. I was lucky, all
that and a bunch of ma and pop stores within a mile radius. The town was just a 10 minute bike
ride away.
Yes, now it is tougher but it's still not that bad.
I think there is a huge difference in society and attitude towards children. Back when I was
knee high to a basketball player, most parents let the kids run loose. We could wander where we
wanted and learned to take care of ourselves as well as interact with the world. It almost seemed
as if the parents didn't care as much. Kids mostly stayed outside when they could, hanging around
the house alone was just not done. We did a lot of stuff our parents never found out about.
We didn't get shuttled around to a dozen activities by parent chauffer's.
Now the parents put the kids on a pedestal, cow-tow to their wishes, buy them electronic entertainment
to baby sit the little PIA's . Instead of playing with other kids and exploring the world, they
watch TV, play computer games and text.
The parents are also afraid of the world, they fear something might happen to little Johnny
or Jackie. All that hyped up news about the 1 in a million occurrence has them rattled. So Johnny
ends up on drugs and Jackie ends up pregnant or alcoholic instead. See, they protected them. Life
for kids is militarized by the school sports system. No time to have fun and build good friendships.
No time to interact with the real world.
Now here is a story about some city kids from the "good old days"
https://archive.org/details/JeanShepherd1966
click on #5 SWAMP ICE, sit back, close your eyes and listen
I remember those days playing hockey on a pond, no protection, get a good smack in the knee
from a fast puck and down you would go for a while. Great fun.
Old Farmer Mac,
11/05/2015
at 5:37 pm
Hi MZ, Every thing you say I agree with. It's not just being in town or a subdivision, half
or more of the problem is helicopter parenting and people being driven to insane levels of fear
for their kids by the msm which constantly hypes any news involving violence.
I have a cousin who was overly protected in such fashion and the poor kid went out into the
world when he finally got out from under his parental thumbs with absolutely ZERO street smarts.
He managed to get thrown in jail within a week of leaving home.
I have been in pretty deep hot water, meaning I earned the only C grade posted in the entire
graduate school of education at VCU, for telling the truth about missing children in a grad class..
The statistics are so overblown they would embarrass the hell out of a carnival barker. According
to the stats, about ten times as many kids are listed as missing per thousand people in most cities
as are ACTUALLY MISSING in the sense that the cops are interested or would be interested if they
had time. Half the kids that are supposedly missing are with one or the other parent or grandparent,
and could be located physically within an hour almost any time at all. I know of supposedly missing
kids who are still enrolled in the same school as previous to their being missed, without having
missed a day of school.
I do NOT condone rape by any means but sometimes I suspect that every woman who ever found
it expedient to slap an overly eager date has been counted as an attempted rape victim, etc.
The msm in a cutthroat race to the bottom for audience and advertising dollars has turned us
into a nation of chicken littles.
Nick G,
11/05/2015
at 6:00 pm
The statistics are so overblown they would embarrass the hell out of a carnival barker.
I agree about missing kids. I think the stat is that less than 1 in 1,000 child abductions
is the kind of stranger abduction that gets the "Law and Order/SVU" treatment.
I suspect that every woman who ever found it expedient to slap an overly eager date has
been counted as an attempted rape victim, etc.
Yow! No. Rape is badly under reported.
These two things are very, very different.
Old Farmer Mac,
11/06/2015
at 6:55 am
HI Nick,
You are correct, rape IS underreported, but to what extent is anybody's guess. I am sure it
is to a LARGE extent..
But I have had serious talks with young women in an academic environment WITHOUT being under
the glaring eyeball of a PC feminist professor, and they tell me themselves that they do not consider
a good many of the incidents that are counted as attempted rapes or sexual harassment as being
significant, meaning counted in surveys.
I have known some young woman to laugh when I tried a joke, they thought it was genuinely funny,
no element of harassment. The joke was that I was looking around at all the girls and trying to
remember why they were so INTERESTING. The next couple I tried it on were pretty hard core feminist
pc types and ripped me a new backside.
This situation was in an actual break between classes when the members all basically just stuck
around for the next class a few minutes later in the same classroom. . In a small community college,
and in a small program such as nursing, the same couple of dozen students will share nearly every
specialized class. In one case, I am the well liked oldest by miles student, in the other I am
an animal in need of horsewhipping. The women eighteen to twenty two or so mostly, a couple middle-aged.
Me, white haired, white bearded sixties, bored, expecting to be looking after elderly parents
and needing serious skills, also considering the training as prep for the baked in hard crash
which just MIGHT arrive within my lifetime..The parental troubles got so bad so fast I had to
drop out without graduating but the Mom spent her last years in her own home near her friends
with her chickens and birds etc right outside the picture windows,nice view of the orchard and
mountains, and Dad will likewise if my own health holds up.
I simply cannot abide the THOUGHT of any body important to me being in a nursing home. I have
BEEN in a couple of dozen nursing homes (pharmacy delivery driver for a few weeks ) at three am
myself and they are not much better than humanely operated jails.
When people create and run surveys, the surveys all too often prove not the facts but the prejudices
of the creators.
Nick
G,
11/06/2015
at 3:45 pm
Mac,
One problem here is that just because someone is a member of a group (that is commonly mistreated
in a systematic way) doesn't mean that they perceive the mistreatment in the same way. Some won't
even agree that the mistreatment exists.
You can find African-americans who disagree that racism exists (Clarence Thomas is a stand-out
example). You can find women who don't perceive rape or sexual harassment. There are plenty of
Phyllis Schlafly's, and people in between, who I would argue just don't see the problem, even
thought it's real.
Just because you're jewish doesn't make you an expert on anti-semitism, or all things jewish.
It's a half-way decent bet, but there's no guarantee.
Just because you live in the South, doesn't mean you'll agree about Southern politics.
Right?
HVACman,
11/05/2015
at 4:14 pm
"If one of them grows up to become an engineer, he will learn all about physics and be
totally ignorant of the ACTUAL USE of a goddamned screwdriver and thus design cars, appliances,
and machinery that will drive some poor mechanic to go postal and start murdering engineers
at random. Sarc."
OFM – LOL! When I was an undergrad mechanical engineering student, I worked summers for a food-industry
machine-manufacturer as a mechanic – assembling and tuning custom palletizing and and packaging
machines. I knew which end of a screwdriver to grab and learned to appreciate simple, clean, easy-to-service
machine designs. This was pretty typical of my fellow US-born engineering classmates, who were
typically car buffs or otherwise loved to tinker with machinery .
There were also a lot of foreign engineering students in our classes. Apparently mostly upper-class
bookworms, where their cultures frowned on people of their class getting greasy working on cars
or even oiling a bicycle chain. In one class called "Production Processes" (basically a machine
shop class), these students were literally dangerous to themselves and others. Not even familiar
with basic hand tools like C-clamps, much less handling micrometers, clamps, or running an engine
lathe, drill press, or Bridgeport mill.
I suspect they went on to design a lot of the products that cause mechanics to go "postal".
Nowadays, it's hard to get many US high school students interested in mechanical engineering,
unless it is robotics. Most want to go into software design. And the few that do go to mechanical
engineering don't have hands-on skills. The most common training ground – cars – aren't what they
uses to be – you can't tinker on them much anymore, unless you get into vintage automobiles.
Plus almost all engineering schools are now dominated with foreign students. Very bright in
math and science, but with the same issues as before…lack of hands-on machinery experience.
Everything can't be done with software or solid-state devices. Things still have to have some
moving parts and nuts and bolts. Someone has to understand them. But who will in the future?
observer.com
Earlier this year, the
New York AG investigated supplements at major retailers and found that four out of five
didn't contain any of the labelled herbs. They contained
"cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that
could be dangerous to those with allergies." We're not talking fly-by-night Internet products;
these are glossy bottles of so-called Gingko Biloba and Echinacea and Garlic, sold in stores like
GNC and Target and Walgreens, with relaxing names like "Herbal Plus" and "Spring Valley":
When you buy a supplement, then, you're
effectively on your own - not just in determining whether the supplement is safe and effective,
but even in deciding whether you're eating what you think you're eating. Reload's packaging
suggests it's an "herbal blend" full of plants like Gingko Biloba and Saw Palmetto, but tests
show that it actually contains sildenafil, the strong prescription chemical found in Viagra
itself.
This is a much freer market than people are accustomed
to when they purchase anything from a reputable
retailer, let alone something they plan to swallow. Absent stricter regulation, busy citizens
count on the media to inform.
"A power nap is a sleep session that happens during the day (ideally between 1:00 to 4:00
PM) lasting between 10 and 30 minutes. Any longer and you run the risk of developing "sleep
inertia" - that unpleasant groggy feeling that takes a considerable amount of time to shake off.
And naps later than 4:00 PM can disrupt your regular nighttime sleep."
"...Dental patients who live close to an international border form the majority of dental health travelers.
US citizens living in Arizona, California, and Texas can easily cross the border into Mexico,
an hour's drive can save them thousands of dollars in dental costs."
.
"...This tells you right away that health care can't be sold like bread. It must be largely
paid for by some kind of insurance. And this in turn means that someone other than the patient ends
up making decisions about what to buy. Consumer choice is nonsense when it comes to health care. And
you can't just trust insurance companies either - they're not in business for their health, or
yours."
.
"...I used to have dental insurance through work, and looked
at the IEEE plan when I lost that, but decided to go cash instead. Have been on a cash basis for the
last 10 years. Prefer it that way, insurance was always pretty much a wash."
.
"...By casting " routine expenses like visits "(prevention) as undesirable the racket decreases
prevention thus increases the lucrative intervention. The surgery plus the pain for the victim.
Look! Prevention is the most cost effective item that GGG can push at us."
Paul Krugman:
Dentists and Skin in the Game: Wonkblog has a post inspired by the dentist who paid a lot
of money to shoot Cecil the lion, asking why he - and dentists in general -
make so much money. Interesting stuff; I've never really thought about the economics of dental
care.
But once you do focus on that issue, it turns out to have an important implication - namely,
that the ruling theory behind conservative notions of health reform is completely wrong.
For many years conservatives have insisted that the problem with health costs is that we don't
treat health care like an ordinary consumer good; people have insurance, which means that they
don't have "skin in the game" that gives them an incentive to watch costs. So what we need is
"consumer-driven" health care, in which insurers no longer pay for routine expenses like visits
to the doctor's office, and in which everyone shops around for the best deals. ...
As it turns out, many fewer people have dental insurance than have general medical insurance;
even where there is insurance, it typically leaves a lot of skin in the game. But dental costs
have risen just as fast as overall health spending...
Posted by Mark Thoma
on Thursday, July 30, 2015 at 10:41 AM in
Economics,
Health Care,
Market
Failure |
Permalink
Comments (17)
anne:
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/July 25, 2009
Why Markets Can't Cure Healthcare
By Paul Krugman
Judging both from comments on this blog and from some of my mail, a significant number of Americans
believe that the answer to our health care problems - indeed, the only answer - is to rely on
the free market. Quite a few seem to believe that this view reflects the lessons of economic theory.
Not so. One of the most influential economic papers of the postwar era was Kenneth Arrow's
"Uncertainty and the Welfare Economics of Health Care," * which demonstrated - decisively, I and
many others believe - that health care can't be marketed like bread or TVs. Let me offer my own
version of Arrow's argument.
There are two strongly distinctive aspects of health care. One is that you don't know when
or whether you'll need care - but if you do, the care can be extremely expensive. The big bucks
are in triple coronary bypass surgery, not routine visits to the doctor's office; and very, very
few people can afford to pay major medical costs out of pocket.
This tells you right away that health care can't be sold like bread. It must be largely
paid for by some kind of insurance. And this in turn means that someone other than the patient
ends up making decisions about what to buy. Consumer choice is nonsense when it comes to
health care. And you can't just trust insurance companies either - they're not in business for
their health, or yours.
This problem is made worse by the fact that actually paying for your health care is a loss
from an insurers' point of view - they actually refer to it as "medical costs." This means both
that insurers try to deny as many claims as possible, and that they try to avoid covering people
who are actually likely to need care. Both of these strategies use a lot of resources, which is
why private insurance has much higher administrative costs than single-payer systems. And since
there's a widespread sense that our fellow citizens should get the care we need - not everyone
agrees, but most do - this means that private insurance basically spends a lot of money on socially
destructive activities.
The second thing about health care is that it's complicated, and you can't rely on experience
or comparison shopping. ("I hear they've got a real deal on stents over at St. Mary's!") That's
why doctors are supposed to follow an ethical code, why we expect more from them than from bakers
or grocery store owners.
You could rely on a health maintenance organization to make the hard choices and do the cost
management, and to some extent we do. But HMOs have been highly limited in their ability to achieve
cost-effectiveness because people don't trust them - they're profit-making institutions, and your
treatment is their cost.
Between those two factors, health care just doesn't work as a standard market story.
All of this doesn't necessarily mean that socialized medicine, or even single-payer, is the
only way to go. There are a number of successful healthcare systems, at least as measured by pretty
good care much cheaper than here, and they are quite different from each other. There are, however,
no examples of successful health care based on the principles of the free market, for one simple
reason: in health care, the free market just doesn't work. And people who say that the market
is the answer are flying in the face of both theory and overwhelming evidence.
* http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/82/2/PHCBP.pdf
pgl:
Krugman is right as far as he goes but he has buried the lead from this excellent discussion:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/29/why-dentists-are-so-darn-rich/
There is an American Dental Association just like there is an American Medical Association
and their game is the same. Limit the competition to drive dentist salaries higher. Economists
from Dean Baker to Greg Mankiw and Milton Friedman agree. End these cartels and allow competition
for doctors and for dentists.
DrDick -> pgl...
That was my thought as well, and you can add the ABA to that list. The problem with all of those
markets is that it is difficult to impossible for consumers to get accurate information on local
prices and relative quality of services provided.
JohnH:
Horrified at outrageous dental expenses, I tried to find a cheaper dentist...unsuccessfully. They
all charge the same. So much for competition in a free market. Somehow they rigged the market.
Worse, insurance companies pay far less for the same procedure than uninsured, so it is the uninsured
who make dentists profitable.
pgl -> JohnH...
"Somehow they rigged the market". Yep - the American Dental Association is a lot like the American
Medical Association. The WaPo blog was an excellent discussion.
anne -> JohnH...
Can dental insurance be bought, say through a professional organization or an AARP-like non-profit?
AARP by the way enrolls adults at 50.
Observer -> anne...
Yes, here's an example from IEEE ...
http://www.ieeeinsurance.com/us/PersonalInsurance/DentalInsurancePlan.aspx
I used to have dental insurance through work, and looked at the IEEE plan when I lost that,
but decided to go cash instead. Have been on a cash basis for the last 10 years. Prefer it that
way, insurance was always pretty much a wash.
Very competitive market, lots of dentists running adds in my area.
My single practitioner dentist provides a ten percent cash discount, written quotes on any
non-routine work, and calls that evening to follow up an any work beyond routine cleaning. Excellent
service, on time, up to date technology, and I'd say the best managed medical provider office
I've ever seen.
For routine medical care, its a great model, and I wish my other providers operated the same
way.
anne -> Observer...
Nice description.
JohnH -> Observer...
Agree. Insurance is pretty much a wash. Anything not routine that you would want insured has big
co-pays.
RC AKA Darryl, Ron -> JohnH...
"...insurance companies pay far less for the same procedure than uninsured, so it is the uninsured
who make dentists profitable."[That is certainly a big part of it. The family dentist does
not make nearly so much per hour as any of the specialists, periodontist, endodontist, oral surgeon,
or orthodontist. One dentist may run an office with up to a half dozen dental hygienists.]
bakho -> JohnH...
Dental patients who live close to an international border form the majority of dental health travelers.
US citizens living in Arizona, California, and Texas can easily cross the border into Mexico,
an hour's drive can save them thousands of dollars in dental costs. Canadians and US citizens
along the East Coast, from Maine to Florida, are flocking to Costa Rica. The dental clinics of
San José are only a short hop from Miami, and the dentistry is generally excellent, at costs 50-80
percent lower than those in the US. Three to check out in San José are Advance Dental Clinic,
Nova Dental, and Meza Dental Clinic.
Europeans find similar advantages in hopping over to Hungary, where they are spoiled for choice
among high-quality, low-cost dental clinics. Most people don't realize that Hungary boasts more
dentists per capita than any other country, and some of the best and least expensive clinics are
found in rural areas. For example, the small town of Mosonmagyaróvár near the Austrian border
is home to more than 160 dental offices! While it's economical for Europeans to travel to Hungary
for a dental checkup or a cleaning, most North Americans who travel to Hungary are looking for
more extensive care, including cosmetic oral surgeries, full-mouth restorations, and implants.
Such work can be had at less than half the US price, including travel and accommodations.
http://www.patientsbeyondborders.com/procedure/dentistry
JohnH -> bakho...
I have a friend who picks a Central American country and shows up unannounced at a dentist to
have a root canal, etc. He can't afford US care and so far has had no problems. I'm not that adventurous.
Now he's cycling by himself in Cuba...
Whee Telephone:
"insurers no longer pay for routine expenses like visits"
~~Paul Krugman~
The *come on* from the prostitutes on 42nd street is mild, but the *come on*
from the protection racket called "health insurance" is purified evil. Do you see the trap they
set?
Obviously GGG can pay insurance racketeers for the preventive procedures or for the surgical
intervention. Paying for prevention increase prevention utilization thus decreases demand for
surgery. Got it?
By casting " routine expenses like visits "(prevention) as undesirable the racket decreases
prevention thus increases the lucrative intervention. The surgery plus the pain for the victim.
Look!
Prevention is the most cost effective item that GGG can push at us. By contrast, when GGG pays
directly to surgeon what happens to supply/price/demand
? Do you see what happens? Doesn't increase resource. Doesn't decrease pain. Merely raises
the price of surgery plus the wealth of the surgeon. Now do you see why all surgeons are Socialists,
Communists, Democrats?
Think, My People!
Think!
Second Best:
Veblen theory of conspicuous consumption, dentists who pay to shoot lions like fish in a barrel
mount them in their office to prove their manhood comes at a price they can afford.
Lyle:
For more expensive dental work dental tourism makes sense. If you can ID a good dentist in say
Costa Rica you might get the trip and the dental work for the price of the dental work in the
US. In particular for implants and the like. Unless the dental guild has rules against this. (How
do dental prices in Europe compare and does European insurance include dental work?)
From Vox EU (and in today's links), can economic factors explain the rise in obesity?:
Changing economic factors and the rise in obesity: The dramatic increase in obesity has raised
the question of whether economic incentives can explain this trend. ...
Of the 27 economic factors, two stand out as having the largest effects. First is the increase
in restaurants per capita, which explains 12%, 14%, and 23% of the increases in BMI, obesity,
and severe obesity, respectively. Increased availability of restaurant food would likely encourage
substitution away from home-cooked meals to relatively unhealthy restaurant meals. Furthermore,
fast food is not the lone culprit. When we split the restaurant variable into fast-food and full-service
restaurants, we find similar effects for each type.
The second major contributor is the increase in superstores and warehouse clubs per capita, which
accounts for 17%, 16%, and 24% of the growth in body mass index, obesity, and severe obesity.
The superstore variable combines Walmart Supercenters with the warehouse club chains Costco, Sam's
Club, and BJ's Wholesale Club. A possible explanation for the impact of these stores on obesity
is that they sell food at discounts of around 20% relative to traditional grocers. Alternatively,
buying food in bulk at warehouse clubs could contribute to overeating. However, when decomposing
the superstore variable, Walmart Supercenters are found to have roughly the same effect as warehouse
clubs. Since Walmart Supercenters sell food in traditional package sizes, this reduces the likelihood
that bulk buying is a primary explanation.
This analysis suggests that variables related to the costs of eating – particularly Supercenter/warehouse
club expansion and increasing numbers of restaurants – are leading drivers of the rise in obesity
occurring since the early 1980s. However, the source of these effects remains somewhat uncertain.
One possibility, previously discussed, is that they lower food prices, particularly for energy-dense
food products and restaurant meals, so that the utility-maximising level of weight has increased.
An alternative is that the expansion of Supercenters/warehouse clubs and restaurants has reduced
time costs because of the greater availability of such foods. When combined with time-inconsistent
preferences (i.e. the inability to follow through on previously made plans) this could lead to
weight gains beyond utility-maximising levels. Consistent with this, we find that Supercenter/warehouse
club densities are correlated with increases in weight loss attempts, which may reflect eating
mistakes.
While restaurants, Supercenters, and warehouse clubs appear to have contributed substantially
to the rise in obesity, this does not necessarily mean that they are bad for society. The increased
availability and affordability of food brought about by these businesses undoubtedly have substantial
benefits for consumers. However, such progress comes at a cost. Future research should investigate
the reasons why restaurants and superstores contribute to obesity with the aim of helping policymakers
develop appropriately targeted solutions.
A walk in the park may soothe the mind and, in the process, change the workings of our brains
in ways that improve our mental health, according to an interesting new study of the physical effects
on the brain of visiting nature.
Most of us today live in cities and spend far less time outside in green, natural spaces than
people did several generations ago.
City dwellers also have a higher risk for anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses than
people living outside urban centers, studies show.
These developments seem to be linked to some extent, according to a growing body of research.
Various studies have found that urban dwellers with little access to green spaces have a higher incidence
of psychological problems than people living near parks and that city dwellers who visit natural
environments have lower levels of stress hormones immediately afterward than people who have not
recently been outside.
But just how a visit to a park or other green space might alter mood has been unclear. Does experiencing
nature actually change our brains in some way that affects our emotional health?
That possibility intrigued Gregory Bratman, a graduate student at the Emmett Interdisciplinary
Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford University, who has been studying the psychological
effects of urban living. In an
earlier
study published last month, he and his colleagues found that volunteers who walked briefly through
a lush, green portion of the Stanford campus were more attentive and happier afterward than volunteers
who strolled for the same amount of time near heavy traffic.
But that study did not examine the neurological mechanisms that might underlie the effects of
being outside in nature.
So for the new study,
which was published last week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Mr. Bratman
and his collaborators decided to closely scrutinize what effect a walk might have on a person's tendency
to brood.
Brooding, which is known among cognitive scientists as morbid rumination, is a mental state familiar
to most of us, in which we can't seem to stop chewing over the ways in which things are wrong with
ourselves and our lives. This broken-record fretting is not healthy or helpful. It can be a precursor
to depression and is disproportionately common among city dwellers compared with people living outside
urban areas, studies show.
Perhaps most interesting for the purposes of Mr. Bratman and his colleagues, however, such rumination
also is strongly associated with increased activity in a portion of the brain known as the subgenual
prefrontal cortex.
If the researchers could track activity in that part of the brain before and after people visited
nature, Mr. Bratman realized, they would have a better idea about whether and to what extent nature
changes people's minds.
Mr. Bratman and his colleagues first gathered 38 healthy, adult city dwellers and asked them to
complete a questionnaire to determine their normal level of morbid rumination.
The researchers also checked for brain activity in each volunteer's subgenual prefrontal cortex,
using scans that track blood flow through the brain. Greater blood flow to parts of the brain usually
signals more activity in those areas.
Then the scientists randomly assigned half of the volunteers to walk for 90 minutes through a
leafy, quiet, parklike portion of the Stanford campus or next to a loud, hectic, multi-lane highway
in Palo Alto. The volunteers were not allowed to have companions or listen to music. They were allowed
to walk at their own pace.
Immediately after completing their walks, the volunteers returned to the lab and repeated both
the questionnaire and the brain scan.
As might have been expected, walking along the highway had not soothed people's minds. Blood flow
to their subgenual prefrontal cortex was still high and their broodiness scores were unchanged.
But the volunteers who had strolled along the quiet, tree-lined paths showed slight but meaningful
improvements in their mental health, according to their scores on the questionnaire. They were not
dwelling on the negative aspects of their lives as much as they had been before the walk.
They also had less blood flow to the subgenual prefrontal cortex. That portion of their brains
were quieter.
These results "strongly suggest that getting out into natural environments" could be an easy and
almost immediate way to improve moods for city dwellers, Mr. Bratman said.
But of course many questions remain, he said, including how much time in nature is sufficient
or ideal for our mental health, as well as what aspects of the natural world are most soothing. Is
it the greenery, quiet, sunniness, loamy smells, all of those, or something else that lifts our moods?
Do we need to be walking or otherwise physically active outside to gain the fullest psychological
benefits? Should we be alone or could companionship amplify mood enhancements?
"There's a tremendous amount of study that still needs to be done," Mr. Bratman said.
But in the meantime, he pointed out, there is little downside to strolling through the nearest
park, and some chance that you might beneficially muffle, at least for awhile, your subgenual prefrontal
cortex.
"... "Exercise is responsible for the majority of the positive brain changes seen with environmental
enrichment.""
A neuroscientist transforms the way we think about our brain, our health, and our personal
happiness in this clear, informative, and inspiring guide-a blend of personal memoir, science narrative,
and immediately useful takeaways that bring the human brain into focus as never before, revealing
the powerful connection between exercise, learning, memory, and cognitive abilities.
Nearing forty, Dr. Wendy Suzuki was at the pinnacle of her career. An award-winning university professor
and world-renowned neuroscientist, she had tenure, her own successful research lab, prestigious awards,
and international renown.
That's when to celebrate her birthday, she booked an adventure trip that forced her to wake up to
a startling reality: despite her professional success, she was overweight, lonely, and tired and
knew that her life had to change. Wendy started simply-by going to an exercise class. Eventually,
she noticed an improvement in her memory, her energy levels, and her ability to work quickly and
move from task to task easily. Not only did Wendy begin to get fit, but she also became sharper,
had more energy, and her memory improved. Being a neuroscientist, she wanted to know why.
What she learned transformed her body and her life. Now, it can transform yours.
Wendy discovered that there is a biological connection between exercise, mindfulness, and action.
With exercise, your body feels more alive and your brain actually performs better. Yes-you can make
yourself smarter. In this fascinating book, Suzuki makes neuroscience easy to understand, interweaving
her personal story with groundbreaking research, and offering practical, short exercises-4 minute
Brain Hacks-to engage your mind and improve your memory, your ability to learn new skills, and function
more efficiently.
Taking us on an amazing journey inside the brain as never before, Suzuki helps us unlock the keys
to neuroplasticity that can change our brains, or bodies, and, ultimately, our lives.
Bassocantor
TOP 50 REVIEWER on May 19, 2015
We Have An Enormous Capacity To Change Into The Very Best Version Of Ourselves
HEALTHY BRAIN, HAPPY LIFE is a fun read, filled with all kinds of exciting ways to expand your
brain power. My favorite parts of the book are these little sections that the author calls "Brain
Hacks." These sections are lists of easy ways to really supercharge your brain and make use of
the latent power in it.
Here's the theme in a nutshell: "One thing I know for sure is that brain plasticity endows us
with an enormous capacity to change into the very best version of ourselves that we can be." Dr.
Suzuki explains that she uses 20 years of research in neuroscience to apply these same principles
to her own personal life. She admits that she "Went from living as a virtual lab rat --an overweight
middle aged woman would had achieved many things in science, but who could not seem to figure
out how to also be a healthy, happy woman..."
One of her main discoveries is the powerful mind-body link. The author emphasizes how powerful
exercise is. "Exercise is responsible for the majority of the positive brain changes seen with
environmental enrichment." And so, Dr. Suzuki invests much time talking about the power of the
brain-body connection. Towards that end, she combines physical workouts as a way to energize your
brain: "The body has a powerful influence on her brain functions and conversely but the brain
has a powerful influence over how are bodies feel and work and heal." Exercise causes definite
changes in your body--it boosts the level of three key chemicals that affect mood.
The key is to make your workouts intentional. Towards that end, the author suggests ways to do
this--for example, proclaiming affirmations out loud. "Intentional exercise happens when you make
exercise both aerobic and mental...You are fully engaged in the moment and trigger a heightened
awareness of the brain body connection." In the Brain Hacks suction, the author lists different
exercises that would best fit you.
Another great section is the section on creativity. You can actually improve your creative thinking;
it is "a particular version of regular thinking they can be practiced and improved like any other
cognitive skill." Once again, the author lists great suggestions in the Brain Hacks section on
ways to jumpstart your creativity. The key point is to learn something new and "Try to use as
many senses as you can." For example, one fun suggestion is to "Sit outside and blindfold yourself
for 4 minutes. Then, listen to the world sounds in a new way."
All in all, HEALTHY BRAIN, HAPPY LIFE is a fun, inspiring read. The author is full of great, uplifting
ideas. My favorite chapter is the one on creativity. The end of the book contains an extensive
Reference section, in which the author documents the various points she makes.
Highly recommend!
Advance copy for impartial review
love2dazzle on June 10, 2015
Happy Life" by Wendy Suzuki is all about focusing on ...
"Healthy Brian, Happy Life" by Wendy Suzuki is all about focusing on expanding your brain power.
Our bodies and mind have a very powerful link. Dr. Suzuki has invested her life to focusing on
the brain. She goes on to state that "Exercise is responsible for the majority of the positive
brain changes seen with environmental enrichment." Dr. Suzuki is making the point that we
need to exercise to work our brain to its fullest potential. She goes on to make the point that
you want to make sure the exercise is intentional because that is what exercise you both mentally
and aerobically.The second best way to expand your brain is by creativity. The point of creativity is to learn
new things that will improve your brain and your senses. One is able to find different ways to
help build and exercise their brain. The author calls some of the tips she gives "Brain Hacks"
so I thought this was a great learning tool.
I thought "Healthy Brain, Happy Life" was very insightful. I thought this book had a lot of good
tips and was also able to explain the brain and how things worked really well. I did enjoy reading
it and learning new things on how I am able to improve my brain function.
Bruny Hudsonon June 13, 2015
Interesting theory for improving one's life
The book "Healthy Brain, Happy Life" by Wendy Suzuki is about a success story, about the author's
life. It's entertaining and enriching but sometimes out of touch with reality. Considering that
the author is a neuroscientist, her line of reasoning sounds dubious in parts of the book, especially
her generalizing concepts of life. Just because an effort has worked for her, it does not mean
it will work for someone else. Nevertheless, the book deserves a five-star rating because of the
author's pleasant writing style and the well-explained examples of research in neuroscience.
Transporter chair reviewer, on July 9, 2015
Mainly autobiographical
I saw her interviewed on CBS and found her a charming and energetic person. I am not sure what
take aways I have from the book, though it interested me since I am also an Asian American woman
who is an over achiever, and many of her experiences resonated. I enjoyed the read. I am not sure
what type of person I would recommend it to . I am also a doctor. It was fun to review some of
the neurobiology and learn some new things.
Made to believe they were severely ill, Fata's patients agreed to pay for unnecessary treatments
and even underwent chemotherapy, NBC News reported. Those who actually had cancer were also lied
to about their survival chances and were overcharged for additional - and unnecessary - treatments.
"He told me I would die from cancer or a secondary infection," said Patty Hester, who was diagnosed
with a cancer-like condition called myelodysplastic syndrome by Fata in 2010 and found out her diagnosis
was bogus after Fata's arrest.
"There was no evidence that I had MDS," she said. "I do not have MDS."
Some 9000 needless injections or infusions, in addition to radiation treatments prescribed for
healthy individuals have been traced to the oncologist, who left many of his patients with broken
health, NBC News reported.
US Attorney Barbara McQuade called Fata's "the most egregious" health care fraud case her office
has seen. He not only bilked the government - which is typical in such cases - but he also harmed
patients, she added.
Fata pleaded guilty to fraud in September, admitting he raked in millions of dollars from insurance
companies, and now faces up to 175 years in prison, according to federal prosecutors. The sentencing
hearing for his case began on Monday.
Fata's lawyers have asked for a 25-year sentence.
By 2013, Dr. Farid Fata operated Michigan's largest private cancer practice, with seven clinics
and 1,700 patients. He now awaits sentencing for fraud and a kickback scheme with a hospice.
Yet at 10 a.m. on July 1, 2013, Monica Flagg felt dread as she entered this space, a full year
after a routine urine test showed an M protein spike that led her physician to refer her to Fata,
a well-known oncologist and hematologist. She was 51, the executive director of a state-licensed
nonprofit - a competent woman facing the stress of a life-threatening illness.
She would wait close to two hours before being called for this, her first chemotherapy session.
A nurse opened the door for her. "Monica."
Inside the clinic, the designer surroundings faded as human chaos seeped in. The infusion nurses
argued among themselves, uncertain about whether to deliver the treatment by injection or a slow
drip. In the end, Flagg was given a single shot. By the time she returned home, she was exhausted
and upset.
Later that day, she and her husband Stephen retreated to the deck outside their Rochester home, trying
to relax. When a few raindrops splattered, she went upstairs to close the bedroom window. Turning
back around, Flagg stumbled and fell on an open suitcase she had been unpacking.
Almost two years later, she still recalls the crunch of bone and her own anguish as she began to
cry.
Internal alarm goes off
That sweltering Fourth of July week, Dr. Soe Maunglay, then 41, a Burmese-born oncologist newly
settled in southeastern Michigan, was making hospital rounds for Fata, his employer. Soft-spoken
and meticulous, Maunglay was wearing a suit jacket rather than a white lab coat, a habit he'd adopted
from a Mayo Clinic-trained mentor.
An accident of timing, personal history, and incredible luck - good and bad - was about to unfold
in Flagg's hospital room. The result would save lives and unleash a federal investigation into a
long-esteemed physician, collapsing his elaborate medical empire, even as details about who uncovered
the doctor's web of deceit, fraud and suffering remained unexplained.
Next month, before Fata is sentenced in a Detroit federal courtroom, Fata victims will describe
the toll of being prescribed toxic medication and testing they didn't need. They will explain how
their misplaced trust in a doctor they once revered tore apart their families, cost them the power
to make choices about living or dying, and created lingering mental anguish and illness.
But it was Flagg's stumble over a suitcase, and Soe Maunglay's determined follow-through over the
next weeks, that precipitated Fata's own fall.
Making Fata's rounds that July day, Maunglay checked for the first time on Flagg, hospitalized with
two fractures in her left leg. Because Maunglay is a cancer doctor, he paid heed to her multiple
myeloma diagnosis, the Velcade injection, and the medical record before him. It all triggered an
internal alarm. .
"Who told you that you have cancer?" he asked her.
Fata's Michigan Hematology and Oncology Inc. (MHO) was the state's largest private cancer practice
in 2013, with clinics in seven cities, its own pharmacy and diagnostic center, and 1,700 patients,
virtually all of them assigned to Fata, the tireless physician. Those who needed proof of Fata's
dedication could look to the doctor's work ethic - he often labored past midnight - or to the Swan
for Life Foundation, a charity Fata established to help cancer patients and their families.
Today, MHO is gone and Fata is behind bars, awaiting sentencing for at least $34 million in fraudulent
Medicare billings and a kickback scheme with a hospice. The criminal counts only hint at the human
suffering behind the financial damages and raise questions about how Fata's schemes could go undetected
so long, despite his many contacts, doctors, and huge roster of patients. As Brian McKeen, the malpractice
lawyer now representing Flagg, says with outrage: "The one place a person should be safe is a hospital
or doctor's office.
Maunglay alone among Fata's former associates is willing or ready to speak publicly, while at
least two dozen lawsuits target professionals associated with the practice.
Fata had a reputation for hiring doctors who superficially seemed like Maunglay - younger, with fledgling
practices, often foreign-born, with few Michigan connections. "It was like 'The Firm,' " says Dr.
Gary Salem, vice president for medical affairs at McLaren-Lapeer Regional Hospital, where Maunglay
now works - recalling the sinister law firm in the John Grisham novel that sought out young, vulnerable
lawyers.
After a lifetime of geographic dislocation and family tragedy, Maunglay might have seemed ideally
cast for the role of a high-performing associate unlikely to cause trouble.
Yet in truth, his life had schooled him in professional integrity and high-stakes drama: His parents,
a physician and nurse, had given Maunglay and his three brothers a blissful childhood in Rangoon,
Burma, now known as Yangon, Myanmar. For a time, his father had been a United Nations volunteer in
Sri Lanka, a role he took pride in, and both parents were outspoken opponents of the military government
in control. Their boys were expected to become doctors: A family photo shows a smiling four-year-old
Soe with a stethoscope around his neck.
That comfortable, principled and striving world collapsed in 1989, when Maunglay's father, a vibrant
52-year-old man, got sick. After a diagnosis of brain cancer, the illness progressed swiftly, taking
his life three months later. Maunglay's life became an epic journey, marked by repeated tragedies
and obstacles to his success and survival.
Jul 09, 2015 |
WJBF-TV
Detroit, Michigan – Emotional testimonies today in the sentencing of
a doctor who mis diagnosed hundreds of patients with cancer–on purpose.
Then he pumped those perfectly healthy people with aggressive and expensive medicine.
ABC's Tom Llamas has the story.Victims and their relatives will face the cancer doctor who they
say destroyed their lives to make millions, "he took my husband from us."
"our life has been turned upside down and total hell."
Dr. Farid Fata expected to hear from several of his former patients during his sentencing hearing
today in Federal court in Detroit.
Fata pleaded guilty to health care fraud and other charges.
According to the criminal complaint: Fata deliberately misdiagnosed patients as having cancer
to justify "unnecessary cancer
treatment".
One of his nurses told FBI agents he would see 50-70 patients per day, billing at the highest
possible code, but spending only 3-5 minutes with each patient.
Fata diagnozed Steve Skrzypxzak with non-hodgkin's lymphoma ordering treatments including chemotherapy
– he didn't even have the disease, "it's beyond my thinking, how can someone do that, knowingly they
are
hurting somebody, just for money."
Dr. Fata now facing a possible life in prison sentence.
A study in the New England
Journal of Medicine reports that taking daily shots of liraglutide (marketed as Saxenda) can
help overweight or obese patients lose weight - a lot of it. Patients taking the medication lost
an average of more than 12 pounds, twice as much as those on a placebo, after 56 weeks.Liraglutide
was originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, but researchers found that in higher doses it
could promote weight loss. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, the study's lead author and director of the obesity
research at Columbia University, said it works by mimicking the effects of a hormone that makes you
feel full.
[Scientists: These two commercial weight loss plans work best to keep pounds away]
The data, which was published Thursday, includes information on 3,731 patients and was included
in the information submitted to the Food and Drug Administration, which approved the drug as the
first injectable for weight loss in 2014.
The researchers wrote that the drug wasn't taken in isolation. Study participants received counseling
and were asked to reduce their intake of food by a small amount and increase their exercise by 150
minutes each week. The most frequent adverse effects were mild or moderate nausea and diarrhea. The
study was funded by Novo Nordisk, which makes the drug.
Researchers from Oregon State University have completed a study into
how the sugar and fat content of a diet relates to cognitive flexibility. They found that diets
with high amounts of either led to a decline in cognitive function. "This effect was most serious
on the high-sugar diet, which also showed an impairment of early learning for both long-term and
short-term memory." After four weeks on a high-fat or high-sugar diet, the performance of mice on
various mental and physical tests started dropping. One of the scientists, Kathy Magnusson, said,
"We've known for a while that too much fat and sugar are not good for you. This work suggests that
fat and sugar are altering your healthy bacterial systems, and that's one of the reasons those foods
aren't good for you. It's not just the food that could be influencing your brain, but an interaction
between the food and microbial changes."
Use of statins is associated with a 46% increase in the risk of developing diabetes
New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study
of Diabetes) shows that use of statins is associated with a 46% increase in the risk of developing
diabetes, even after adjustment for confounding factors. The study is by Professor Markku Laakso,
Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Finland,
and colleagues.
Previous studies have suggested an increased risk (of varying levels) of developing
diabetes associated with statin
use. However, these studies have had limitations: study populations have been selective especially
in statin trials which have included participants at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore,
the risk of diabetes in clinical trials is likely to differ from that in the general population.
Very often in previous studies the diagnosis of diabetes has been based on self-reported diabetes
or fasting glucose measurement, leading to an underestimation of the actual numbers of incident diabetes
cases.
In this new study, the authors investigated the effects of statin treatment on the risk of type
2 diabetes and deterioration of blood sugar control in 8,749 non-diabetic men in a 6-year follow-up
of the population-based Metabolic Syndrome in Men (METSIM) study, based in Kuopio, Finland. The
authors also investigated the mechanisms of statin-induced diabetes by evaluating changes in insulin
resistance and insulin secretion.
The participants, aged 45-73 years, were followed up for 5.9 years. New diabetes was diagnosed
in 625 men with either an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), an HbA1c level of 6.5% or higher, or
anti-diabetic medication started during the follow-up, and
insulin sensitivity
and secretion were evaluated.
The researchers found that, after the results were adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), waist
circumference, physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, family history of diabetes, and beta-blocker
and diuretic treatment, patients treated with
statins were 46% more likely
to develop diabetes than those not treated with statins.
The risk was dose-dependent for simvastatin and atorvastatin. Statin treatment significantly increased
2-h glucose (2hPG) at follow-up, with a nominally significant increase in fasting glucose (FPG).
Insulin sensitivity was decreased by 24% and insulin secretion by 12% in individuals on statin
treatment.
Furthermore, decreases in insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion were dose-dependent for simvastatin
and atorvastatin. And, after adjustment for all the confounders mentioned above, high-dose simvastatin
was associated with a 44% increased risk of developing diabetes, while for low-dose simvastatin the
increased risk was 28% and for high-dose atorvastatin the increased risk was 37%. Overall, 29% of
participants were taking simvastatin, while 53% were taking atorvastatin.
The authors say, "The association of statin use with increased risk of developing diabetes
is most likely directly related to statins decreasing both insulin sensitivity and secretion."
Furthermore, they stress that while the size of the study makes their conclusions reliable, the
study sample was Caucasian men, so the applicability to women or people of other ethnic origin cannot
be confirmed without further research.
They conclude: "Statin therapy was associated with a 46% increased risk of
type 2 diabetes after
adjustment for confounding factors, suggesting a higher risk of diabetes in the general population
than previously reported."
"Scientists believe engaging the brain in hobbies including painting, drawing and pottery, helps
protect neurons - building blocks of the brain.
Computer use also found to halve a person's risk of memory loss."
"Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads
to weight gain,"
Artificial sweeteners have more intense flavor than real sugar, so over time products like diet
soda dull our senses to naturally sweet foods like fruit, says Brooke Alpert, RD, author of The Sugar
Detox. Even more troubling, these sugar stand-ins have been shown to have the same effect on your
body as sugar. "Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode
and leads to weight gain," Alpert says.
It could lead to weight gain, not weight loss
Diet soda is calorie-free, but it won't necessarily help you lose weight. Researchers from the University
of Texas found that over the course of about a decade, diet soda drinkers had a 70% greater increase
in waist circumference compared with non-drinkers. And get this: participants who slurped down two
or more sodas a day experienced a 500% greater increase. The way artificial sweeteners confuse the
body may play a part, but another reason might be psychological, says Minnesota-based dietitian Cassie
Bjork. When you know you're not consuming any liquid calories, it might be easier to justify that
double cheeseburger or extra slice of pizza.
It's associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes
Drinking one diet soda a day was associated with a 36% increased risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes
in a University of Minnesota study. Metabolic syndrome describes a cluster of conditions (including
high blood pressure, elevated glucose levels, raised cholesterol, and large waist circumference)
that put people at high risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, Bjork explains.
It has no nutritional value
When you drink diet soda, you're not taking in any calories-but you're also not swallowing anything
that does your body any good, either. The best no-calorie beverage? Plain old water, says Bjork.
"Water is essential for many of our bodily processes, so replacing it with diet soda is a negative
thing," she says. If it's the fizziness you crave, try sparkling water.
Its sweetener is linked to headaches
Early studies on aspartame and anecdotal evidence suggests that this artificial sweetener may trigger
headaches in some people. "I have several clients who used to suffer from migraines and pinpointed
their cause to diet soda," Bjork says.
It'll ruin your smile over time
Excessive soda drinking could leave you looking like a Breaking Bad extra, according to a case study
published in the journal General Dentistry. The research compared the mouths of a cocaine-user, a
methamphetamine-user, and a habitual diet-soda drinker, and found the same level of tooth erosion
in each of them. The culprit here is citric acid, which weakens and destroys tooth enamel over time.
(Related: 20 Things That Can Ruin Your Smile)
It makes drinking more dangerous
Using diet soda as a low-calorie cocktail mixer has the dangerous effect of getting you drunk faster
than sugar-sweetened beverages, according to research from Northern Kentucky University. The study
revealed that participants who consumed cocktails mixed with diet drinks had a higher breath alcohol
concentration than those who drank alcohol blended with sugared beverages. The researchers believe
this is because our bloodstream is able to absorb artificial sweetener more quickly than sugar.
It's associated with depression
A recent study presented at a the American Academy of Neurology meeting found that over the course
of 10 years, people who drank more than four cups or cans of soda a day were 30% more likely to develop
depression than those who steered clear of sugary drinks. The correlation held true for both regular
and diet drinks, but researchers were sure to note that the risk appeared to be greater for those
who primarily drank diet sodas and fruit punches. Although this type of study can't prove cause and
effect, its findings are worth considering
It may be bad for your bones
Women over 60 are already at a greater risk for osteoporosis than men, and Tufts University researchers
found that drinking soda, including diet soda, compounds the problem. They discovered that female
cola drinkers had nearly 4% lower bone mineral density in their hips than women who didn't drink
soda. The research even controlled for the participants' calcium and vitamin D intake. Additionally,
a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that cola intake (all
kinds, not just diet) was associated with low bone-mineral density in women.
It may hurt your heart
Just one diet soft drink a day could boost your risk of having a vascular event such as stroke, heart
attack, or vascular death, according to researchers from the University of Miami and Columbia University.
Their study found that diet soda devotees were 43% more likely to have experienced a vascular event
than those who drank none. Regular soda drinkers did not appear to have an increased risk of vascular
events. Researchers say more studies need to be conducted before definitive conclusions can be made
about diet soda's effects on health.
HughPickens.com writes: Scott
Adams (of Dilbert fame) writes on his blog that
science's
biggest failure of all time is "everything about diet and fitness." He says, "I used to think fatty food made you fat. Now it seems the opposite is true. Eating lots of peanuts,
avocados, and cheese, for example, probably decreases your appetite and keeps you thin. I used to
think vitamins had been thoroughly studied for their health trade-offs. They haven't. The reason
you take one multivitamin pill a day is marketing, not science. I used to think the U.S. food pyramid
was good science. In the past it was not, and I assume it is not now. I used to think drinking one
glass of alcohol a day is good for health, but now I think that idea is probably just a correlation
found in studies."
According to Adams, the direct problem of science is that it has been collectively steering an entire
generation toward obesity, diabetes, and coronary problems. But the indirect problem might be worse:
It is hard to trust science because people have become accustomed to learning that they've been steered
wrong. "I think science has earned its lack of credibility with the public. If you kick me in the
balls for 20-years, how do you expect me to close my eyes and trust you?"
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History:
Fifty glorious years (1950-2000):
the triumph of the US computer engineering :
Donald Knuth : TAoCP
and its Influence of Computer Science : Richard Stallman
: Linus Torvalds :
Larry Wall :
John K. Ousterhout :
CTSS : Multix OS Unix
History : Unix shell history :
VI editor :
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Solaris : MS DOS
: Programming Languages History :
PL/1 : Simula 67 :
C :
History of GCC development :
Scripting Languages :
Perl history :
OS History : Mail :
DNS : SSH
: CPU Instruction Sets :
SPARC systems 1987-2006 :
Norton Commander :
Norton Utilities :
Norton Ghost :
Frontpage history :
Malware Defense History :
GNU Screen :
OSS early history
Classic books:
The Peter
Principle : Parkinson
Law : 1984 :
The Mythical Man-Month :
How to Solve It by George Polya :
The Art of Computer Programming :
The Elements of Programming Style :
The Unix Hater’s Handbook :
The Jargon file :
The True Believer :
Programming Pearls :
The Good Soldier Svejk :
The Power Elite
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: ARE YOU A BBS ADDICT? :
The Perl Purity Test :
Object oriented programmers of all nations
: Financial Humor :
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Humor Bulletin, 2010 : The Most Comprehensive Collection of Editor-related
Humor : Programming Language Humor :
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Scripting Humor :
Real Programmers Humor :
Web Humor : GPL-related Humor
: OFM Humor :
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IDS Humor :
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humor : PseudoScience Related Humor :
Networking Humor :
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2011 : Financial
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2013 : Java Humor : Software
Engineering Humor : Sun Solaris Related Humor :
Education Humor : IBM
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VIM Humor : Computer
Viruses Humor : Bright tomorrow is rescheduled
to a day after tomorrow : Classic Computer
Humor
The Last but not Least Technology is dominated by
two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage and those who manage what they do not understand ~Archibald Putt.
Ph.D
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