Healthcare
My previous essays laid out the current situation with healthcare in this country. Assuming that research will continue to provide new treatments, techniques, equipment, diagnostic tools, and medications, we can expect the costs of healthcare coverage to grow faster...
The US healthcare industry is primarily private. Even Medicare has vast private company ties. Medicare Advantage (Part C) is run by public healthcare companies. Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D) is also run by public companies. Even basic Medicare Parts...
I included several potential lines of inquiry based on an observed association between the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and infants born with ASD. My son, David, referred me to a very interesting line of investigation that uncovers a different correlation. I...
<<<There is a high correlation between the sales of heavy coats in October and snow in December, but you would never ban the sale of those coats in order to prevent snow.>>> Have you been expecting me to comment on the NIH report on Autism? Here it...
THE FDA. DAMNED IF YOU DO. DAMNED IF YOU DON’T. There is a paradox with respect to clinical trials. One day you may see an article criticizing the FDA for not approving a promising drug that is in clinical trials, because it may benefit people right away. And the...
There is a lot of information out there about how to prevent and treat viral infections. Let’s take some time to review our choices. ANTIBIOTICS First things first. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections but have no effect on viral infections. Americans often like to...
In my last post, I described how GLP-1s were discovered and how they work. Now, I want to look at the different options and how they differ from each other. First, it is important to understand how FDA approval works. After a medication or treatment has been found to...
If you have Type II Diabetes or if you need to lose weight, you are probably aware of some hot new drugs, Jardiance, Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. You may also have been besieged by texts, emails, and phone calls about “compounded” versions of...
When a poultry farm tests positive for bird flu, the clock starts. Within the first 72 hours, farmers start depopulating, an industry term for killing contaminated flocks. From foam to heatstroke: The business of bird flu depopulation Bird flu containment isn’t just a...
As of now, there is LOW RISK for Americans to acquire Bird Flu (H5N1 Influenza). This DOES NOT mean that the virus is NOT dangerous; it DOES NOT mean that the spread is under control; it DOES NOT mean that there should be no concerns. NO. Low risk, in this parlance...
There is quite a lot of media attention to “Bird Flu”. Is it something that we need to worry about? SHOULD WE BE SCARED? Normally I would say no, but today I say Yes. In the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, healthy people in their 20’s got sick in the morning, and many...
This week’s news includes the FDA approval for two treatments for Sickle Cell Anemia. This is wonderful news, and a result of years of government-financed research that has provided tools for correcting genetic abnormalities. Some background: Sickle Cell anemia is a...