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Category Archives: Medical Economics
Yet another study shows social value of monogamy
When it comes to marriage and family structure, there’s a good reason nearly every modern society has encouraged monogamy as the accepted norm: Because it’s good for society.
Posted in Marriage and Family Health, Medical Economics
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Smartphone may be the future of medicine
The New York Times reports Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Medical Institute in La Jolla, California, “is only half joking when he says the smartphone is the future of medicine – because most of his patients already … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Economics
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Probiotics grow in popularity but don’t always deliver on promises
Probiotic supplements and foods containing “friendly” bacteria or yeast have become popular options for people hoping to improve bowel function or boost immunity. But many customers are confused by the vast array of choices.
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Medical Economics
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Report finds illicit drugs bought on Internet could be poison (Ya think?)
HealthDay reports, “A case study of two men who were poisoned and turned blue after ingesting what they thought was a recreational drug that they had bought on the Internet highlights the dangers of such purchases,” according to a study … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Medical Economics
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Survey: Nearly all orthopedic surgeons order unnecessary tests
HealthDay reports, “A shocking new national survey suggests that nearly all orthopedic surgeons may order unnecessary tests, referrals or hospitalizations to avoid being sued, to the tune of $2 billion a year.”
Posted in Medical Economics
3 Comments
Physician: FDA should not approve weight-loss drug without being certain of safety
In a column for USA Today, Marc Siegel, MD, professor of medicine at the NYU Langone Medical Center, writes about concerns over the safety of Qnexa [phentermine/topiramate], a new obesity drug that has been recommended for approval by the Food … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Economics, Obesity
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Many physicians foolishly treat self, family members
American Medical News reports, “Professional ethics policies have long warned about the perils of physicians treating themselves or family members,” and yet, “a 2011 survey of more than 1,000 physicians in North Carolina found that nearly half had treated themselves … Continue reading
Posted in Marriage and Family Health, Medical Economics
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Fish oil and multivitamins most popular supplements in survey
A survey of over 10,000 savvy consumers of supplements shows the most popular supplements to be fish oil, multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium and CoQ10, in that order.
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Medical Economics
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Researchers warn consumers should “be wary” of buying statins on the Internet
HealthDay reports, “Be wary of buying the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins on the Internet,” British researchers said in a study published in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety.
Posted in Heart Health, Medical Economics
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Scientists argue sugar should be regulated like alcohol, tobacco
In a front-page story, the San Francisco Chronicle, “Like alcohol and tobacco, sugar is a toxic, addictive substance that should be highly regulated with taxes, laws on where and to whom it can be advertised, and even age-restricted sales, says … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Economics, Nutritional Health, Obesity
1 Comment
Campaign to publish list of overused tests, treatments
The AP reports, “Chances are you’ve heard that many expert groups say cancer screening is overused, too, from mammograms given too early or too often to prostate cancer tests that may not save lives,” but “some of the nuts-and-bolts tests given … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Economics
Tagged cancer screening, mammogram, mammography, medical testing, prostate cancer screening
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FDA, FTC warn companies to stop selling HCG diet products
The AP reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to seven companies, ordering them “to stop selling an unproven weight loss remedy that uses protein from the human placenta.”
Posted in Medical Economics, Nutritional Health, Obesity
Tagged diet, diet myths, dieting, HCG diet
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PSA screening for prostate cancer. The debate continues.
ABC World News reported, “An earthquake in the debate over men and prostate cancer” regarding a “simple blood test called a PSA. Twenty million men use it to find out if they show a sign of risk, yet today, a … Continue reading
Posted in Cancer, Health Headlines, Medical Economics, Men's Health
Tagged preventing prostate cancer, prostate cancer, prostate cancer screening, prostate-specific antigen
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The PSA Controversy: A view from family physicians.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, has once again rejected the status quo, following the evidence to propose a recommendation some likely will find controversial. Here’s a viewpoint from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) that I find very … Continue reading
The PSA Controversy: A view from the American Cancer Society.
To screen or not to screen for prostate cancer, that is the question. Or is it? Here’s the viewpoint of my friend, J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society.
Posted in Cancer, Medical Economics, Men's Health
Tagged preventing prostate cancer, prostate cancer, prostate cancer screening, prostate-specific antigen
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Task force recommends “D” rating for PSA screening for prostate cancer
TV and print media have extensively covered the US Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF) decision to give a “D” rating to PSA testing. What’s this mean for men? I’ll cover this controversy in the next few blogs.
Posted in Cancer, Medical Economics, Men's Health
Tagged prostate cancer, prostate cancer screening, prostate-specific antigen, PSA
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Is the US infant mortality ranking “shameful”? I say, “no,” but here’s the debate:
Of the over 2000 blogs I’ve posted, one of the most popular was Health Myth #1: “The U.S. has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world.”. Now, in an editorial, USA Today points out that the … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Health, Health Headlines, International Health, Medical Economics
Tagged infant mortality
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CMS unveils new website with hospital quality data
CMS (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is beginning a new program to help health consumers compare hospitals based on quality.
Posted in General Health, Medical Economics
Tagged CMS, hospital care, hospital comparisons
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Rising Costs Complicate Vaccine Guidelines
The group that advises the U.S. government on vaccination thinks some new vaccines may NOT be worth the cost.
Posted in Children's Health, Medical Economics, Parenting
Tagged immunization, vaccination, vaccinations
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Emergency medical care myths
In a Huffington Post report, Leigh Vinocur, M.D., debunked three emergency medical care myths. I must tell you that I believed each of these three “myths.” So, this article was very informative to me.
Posted in Medical Economics
Tagged emergency medical care, health myth
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Palliative care may prolong life, reduce suffering
Do you know the difference between “palliative care” and “hospice care”? I must confess that for sometime I did not. Now that I’m more educated on the topic, I’m finding that many patients – and even many doctors – confuse palliative medicine … Continue reading
Posted in Cancer, Medical Economics, Spiritual Health
Tagged hospice, palliative care, reducing suffering, suffering
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Patients knowingly given placebo report relief
Placebo treatment, it turns out, can actually significantly influence subjective symptoms.
Posted in Bioethics, Medical Economics
Tagged placebo
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Investigator Planned to Make Vast Profit From Autism/MMR Vaccine Scare
Andrew Wakefield, the lead author on the 1998 study that reported a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and a new condition of regressive autism and bowel disease called autistic enterocolitis (AE), was planning to market a prestudy diagnostic testing … Continue reading
Posted in Bioethics, Children's Health, Medical Economics, Parenting
Tagged autism, autism spectrum disorder, mmr, MMR vaccine, vaccine myth, vaccine safety
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Obama Pushes to Rescind Conscience Rights For Pro-Life Doctors
A national organization of Christian doctors is strongly concerned about the Obama administration’s effort to rescind conscience protections the Bush administration put in place for medical professionals. The regulations provide additional protections and support for those doctors and nurses who don’t … Continue reading
Posted in Bioethics, Medical Economics
Tagged conscience, conscience rights, freedom of conscience, physician conscience, right of conscience
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U.S. spending millions to see if herbs truly work
People have been using herbal supplements for centuries to cure all manner of ills and improve their health. But for all the folk wisdom promoting the use of such plants as St. John’s wort and black cohosh, much about their … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Medical Economics
Tagged Alternative Medicine, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine
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Obama Admin Working to Rescind Conscience Rights on Abortion
The Obama administration is still working to overturn conscience rights for medical professionals on abortion that were put in place at the tail end of the Bush administration. Here are the chilling details in a report from LifeNews: In 2008, … Continue reading
As Healthcare Reform Takes Hold, 74% of Physicians Will Retire or Seek Other Alternatives
Healthcare reform, should it survive legal challenge, repeal, and/or non-funding, will usher in a new era of medicine in which physicians will, according to a report in Modern Medicine, “largely cease to operate as full-time, independent, private practitioners accepting third party … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Economics
Tagged nationalized health insurance, nationalized healthcare, Obamacare, socialized healthcare
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ObamaCare Repealed in the House
The House of Representatives resumed debate this morning on H.R. 2, legislation to repeal ObamaCare. A final vote came this evening, and it, as expected, passed easily with the new GOP majority in control. Also, in the “breaking news” category … Continue reading
Lower-Priced Resveratrol Supplements Pass Quality Tests While Some Higher-Priced Brands Flunk
Nature’s Code ResveratrexConsumerLab.com has reported that tests of supplements containing resveratrol — a compound promoted as “life-extending” — revealed that two products provided only 43.4% and 86.7%, respectively, of their listed amounts of resveratrol. These two products were among the … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Medical Economics, Nutritional Health
Tagged alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, consumerlab, resveratrol
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“Mammography Saves Lives” Slogan Doesn’t Tell Full Story and May Mislead Many Women
The current “Mammography Saves Lives” campaign in the United States and previous campaigns promoting screening for breast cancer are not providing balanced information, because they underreport, or don’t mention at all, potential harms from the procedure, say critics. One expert … Continue reading
Posted in Bioethics, Cancer, Medical Economics, Woman's Health
Tagged breast cancer, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer screening, mammogram, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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