by Dr.Fitness on April 12, 2007
Stephen Dubner’s, co-author of the best selling book, “Freakonomics,” makes some dead-on comments in response to recent information about how coronary stenting is no more effective typically than heart drugs, even though it is far more invasive, and far more profitable for the medical personnel involved. He writes:
An editorial in the current British Medical Journal makes a very sharp point that many of us have probably been thinking about in the last few weeks while reading the latest medical news in the papers:
It’s easy to feel contempt for deluded practitioners of the past who advocated bloodletting and tonsillectomies for all. Easy, that is, until one considers emerging evidence that coronary stenting and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy may well be the contemporary equivalents of those now discredited practices.
This recent New York Times article tells of the compelling study which found that coronary stenting is typically no more effective than heart drugs, even though it is far more invasive — and, to be sure, profitable for the medical personnel involved.
Indeed, another article in the same issue of BMJ suggests that stenting is less common in Europe than in the U.S. mainly because “there have not been the same financial incentives to carry out some stenting.”
FWIW, we mentioned this subject briefly in Freakonomics:
If you were to assume that many experts use their information to your detriment, you’d be right. Experts depend on the fact that you don’t have the information they do. Or that you are so befuddled by the complexity of their operation that you wouldn’t know what to do with the information if you had it. Or that you are so in awe of their expertise that you wouldn’t dare challenge them. If your doctor suggests that you have angioplasty—even though some current research suggests that angioplasty does little to prevent heart attacks—you aren’t likely to think that the doctor is using his informational advantage to make a few thousand dollars for himself or his buddy. But as David Hillis, an interventional cardiologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, explained to the New York Times, a doctor may have the same economic incentives as a car salesman or a funeral director or a mutual-fund manager: “If you’re an invasive cardiologist and Joe Smith, the local internist, is sending you patients, and if you tell them they don’t need the procedure, pretty soon Joe Smith doesn’t send patients anymore.”
The BMJ editorial also asks a wise question. Perhaps some of you can offer an answer: “What other medical orthodoxies might join hormone replacement therapy and stenting on the ever-growing list of discredited interventions?”
I have one prediction: late-stage chemotherapy for many types of cancer.
Tags: book,
coronary stenting,
Freakonomics,
Stephen Dubner
by FatGuy on October 9, 2006
“The funniest weight loss and fitness radio show on the internet.” Please click on the POD button to listen to the latest Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy show.
On tonight’s show, Doctor Fitness and the Fat Guy get the skinny about the hottest diet out there…The Shangri-La Diet by Seth Roberts. Stephen Dubner, author of Freakonomics said that this is “A weight-loss theory that just might benefit a few million people.” Check out all the Freakonomic spin on The Shangri-La Diet at http://www.freakonomics.com/times0911.php The Fat Guy is going to try this diet as long as he can. So far he has drank one bottle of sugar water and is feeling full. According to Seth you should either drink some olive oil or sugar water a couple of times each day in between meals. This will lower your caloric set point, which will help you eat less calories each day which will help you lose weight. Sounds pretty easy, Check out The Shangri-La Diet website to get tips and great information from the online forum of active dieters as www.shangriladiet.com
We also had on Terisha Tatter Carson, Atlanta’s best Massage Therapist and her business partner Dr. Heather Duckett. Terisha shared stories from her recent trip to China. She had the opportunity to train and learn from some of China’s most innovative health care practioners. Dr. Heather explained how massage therapy and chiropractic care work hand in hand. For more information on their practice go their website www.hpccinc.com
The Doctor also shared his tips on how to make exercise a top 3 non-negotiable priority. Number 1, when you are exercising you are being a good role model for your family – teaching your kids that exercise is an important part of each day. Number 2, schedule things around exercise - don’t use your work out time as time that is flexible to eliminate or move around. And number 3, you will have to listen to the show to find out that one and all the rest of these great exercise tips.
The Fat Guy gave his Sarah Reinersten on the Amazing Race 10 on CBS update. She is the triathlete with the fake leg. She and Peter finished 5th in the third round and we will be tracking her progress each week on our show. Sarah is having some mechanical leg problems Check out the Amazing Race website here http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race10/ and Sarah’s website here www.iamsarah.org
Another highlight of this show was the Fat guy giving his how to peel a pomegranate tip. the Fat Guy has mastered the intricate technique you need to effectively peel this wonderful fruit. So search the Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy blog to see how it’s done. Dr. Fitness is now a regular on Huntsville, AL TV. He has a segment every Tuesday on the ABC affiliate there WAAY where he answer viewers weight loss challenges.
As always, more laughs, more info and more fun than any other health, fitness, weight loss podcast out there. Click the podcast button and check out the entire show right now. Don’t forget to check out the Doctor Fitness and the Fat Guy blog at www.weightlossradio.blogspot.com for more tips about weight loss and Dr. Shafran’s analysis of all things health and fitness. Also check out our website www.drfitnessandthefatguy.com to subscribe to our FREE weekly healthy living newsletter. You can also email Dr. Fitness there with your specific questions and he will personally answer each one.
Tags: Dr. Heather Duckett,
Freakonomics,
Massage Therapists,
Seth Roberts,
Shangri-La Diet,
Stephen Dubner,
Terisha Tatter Carson,
tips
