June 14th, 2010 by KevinMD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News, Opinion
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Just when I’ve lost hope that mainstream media will stop perpetuating the myth the more medicine equals better care, the Associated Press came up with this excellent piece. The article states, rightly, that “anywhere from one-fifth to nearly one-third of the tests and treatments we get are estimated to be unnecessary,” and that, “it may lead to dangerous side effects.”
Regular readers of this blog should be familiar with those concepts. I wrote recently that patients often reject evidence-based medicine. One reason is that there aren’t enough clinical guidelines available for patients to make an informed decision. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com*
June 6th, 2010 by Harriet Hall, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research
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Red meat consumption has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer (breast, colorectal, stomach, bladder, prostate, and lymphoma).
There are plausible mechanisms: Meat is a source of carcinogens, iron that may increase oxidative damage, and saturated fat. But correlation and plausibility are not enough to establish causation.
Is red meat really dangerous? If so, how great is the risk? A couple of recent studies have tried to shed light on these questions, but they have raised more questions than they have answered. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
May 7th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Opinion, Research
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Depressed people ate about 60 percent more chocolate compared with others, and major depression more than doubled consumption, reported researchers in the usually-more-reliable Archives of Internal Medicine. Now researchers want to further delve into the issue.
“Whether there is a causal connection, and if so in which direction, is a matter for future prospective study,” the authors wrote.
We wonder if Hershey’s would provide samples for the treatment arm of such studies, and if so, how people can sign up?
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
April 17th, 2010 by DaveMunger in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
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Do a search on the Internet for “high blood pressure” or “hypertension” and you’ll find that nearly every health website recommends the DASH diet to control blood pressure. It makes some sense: If sodium and saturated fat cause high blood pressure, then removing them from your diet should make it come back down.
But changing your eating habits is easier said than done. It’s easy to say you want to cut down on fat and sodium, but it’s hard to resist a hot slice of Chicago-style pizza piled high with sausage and cheese. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Daily Monthly*
