What can you do to overcome the "controversies" in medicine? Stay healthy!
Eat well,
digest well,
exercise,
follow the cultural habits of those who live the longest - like the Japanese,
avoid drugs unless absolutely necessary.
Don't worry - be happy!
The American Medical Association should be the standard for medical evidence. But is it?
"Among American professions, the medical field enjoys an unusual degree of autonomy and privilege, and the embodiment of this professional entitlement can be found by looking at the American Medical Association (AMA). Formed in 1847, the AMA gradually grew to be the largest physician association in the U.S. Though its ranks have declined sharply since its heyday in the mid-20th century (from 75 percent of practicing physicians in the early 1950s to 15 percent in 2011), its influence on the national scene continues.
The AMA’s power stems from both its political clout on Capitol Hill and its symbiotic, money-tinged relationship with the larger sectors of the healthcare system, such as the
hospital,
insurance, and
pharmaceutical/medical device industries.
The AMA has leveraged its strength repeatedly in opposing major health reforms, such as the enactment of Medicare in 1965 and its expansion today to all Americans as a single-payer, universal health insurance system."
The consequences have been disastrous to health and longevity.
This chart shows a basic correlation. The more we spend on healthcare, the shorter our lives. Although it is an association, paying for drugs, procedures, and medical devices shortens our lifespan. And the reduction in longevity is dramatic. Americans now die 9 years younger when compared to the Japanese and 4-5 years sooner compared to Europeans.
In the U.S., we consume ~50% of the pharmaceuticals, but our population is only 5% of the total.
The last blog had a short video presented by Dr. Peter Gøtzsche, founder of the Cochrane Collaboration. Do NOT miss watching this video.
Dr. Peter Gøtzsche dives into the use of pharmaceuticals. He makes the point that the complexity of interactions from polypharmacy is beyond the ability of doctors to understand fully. He states, "Until doctors are better, we should consider stopping the use of polypharmacy."
Here are some comments posted for this video.
From the Cochrane Collaboration to the Institute for Scientific Freedom.
I still consider the Cochrane Collaboration publications the standard for evidence in medicine, but no group is perfect or without susceptibility to what I call "Mammon over Humanity. However, I trust the integrity of Dr. Gøtzsche and his continuing efforts.
A comprehensive story on Cochrane and Dr. Gøtzsche is provided here:
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