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From expert advice to engaging stories, our blog is a resource for a healthier, happier you. Stay informed, inspired, and connected as we navigate the path to well-being together.
On Health Care Spending
The oldest patient I ever had lived to be over 100 years old. She was small and frail a bit stooped, but was she remarkably healthy with no real medical problems, and her mind was delightfully sharp. In the last year of her life she developed esophageal cancer. She...
On the Perils of Prescribing
Before my daughter entered medical school I urged her to study hard and read widely so as to kill as few patients as possible. Her eyes grew wide – but we save lives! Yes, but we also kill, both through human error and by following the standard of care –which may or...
On Diabetes Management
In the September issue of Family Practice News the headline reads “Can It Be True: New scientific evidence doesn’t support tight glycemic control.” Actually the evidence is not new, but studies show that it can take up to 17 years for an obvious truth to be finally...
On Healthy Societies
The nations that lead the world in health outcomes are not the ones that spend the most money. The U.S. now spends over 18% of its GDP on healthcare, but countries like Japan, Sweden and Switzerland spend about half as much and get better results. The cost of...
The Latest Screening Recommendations
The past few years two more ill conceived screening programs have been foisted upon primary care providers. The current recommendation is that smokers over the age of 50 be screened for lung cancer with a low dose CT scan of the chest annually. This program came from...
More on Screening
As with PSA screening, neither screening for breast cancer nor screening for colon cancer has been shown to reduce overall mortality; and both programs are hugely expensive. Yes, screening for breast cancer reduces breast cancer mortality because it finds lots of...