Comments on: Guest post: Heart hoax http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051 Focusing on business issues in health care. Written by David E. Williams of MedPharma Partners Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:12:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Press Room — The Great American Heart Hoax http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051&cpage=1#comment-333923 Press Room — The Great American Heart Hoax Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:56:14 +0000 http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051#comment-333923 [...] *Health Business Blog: http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051 [...] [...] *Health Business Blog: http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051 [...]

]]> By: David E. Williams of the Health business blog http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051&cpage=1#comment-295119 David E. Williams of the Health business blog Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:48:26 +0000 http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051#comment-295119 Thanks, MedHead. I often delete comments that are purely commercial, especially if they have nothing to do with the post. In this case I left comments #3 and #4 up, although they are mainly self-serving. I can't vouch for their credibility but they don't seem to be dangerous sites. I agree with your "bang for the buck" concern. However, there are plenty of cases where the patient isn't missing out on anything by avoiding a costly intervention. Thanks, MedHead. I often delete comments that are purely commercial, especially if they have nothing to do with the post. In this case I left comments #3 and #4 up, although they are mainly self-serving. I can’t vouch for their credibility but they don’t seem to be dangerous sites.

I agree with your “bang for the buck” concern. However, there are plenty of cases where the patient isn’t missing out on anything by avoiding a costly intervention.

]]> By: MedHead http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051&cpage=1#comment-295116 MedHead Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:41:42 +0000 http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051#comment-295116 This is great food for thought, thanks for this posting. I have to tell you, though, from a medical consumer's (or if you prefer, beneficiary's) point of view, your "bang for your buck" argument is more than a bit scary. Though I want others to be healthy, more than anything I want to safeguard my own personal health, no matter the the cost or the degree to which it is invasive. And if I happen to be one of those for whom lifestyle changes does not work, I don't want to be on the outside of that "bang." David - I'm leery of clicking all of the links from those that have commented here (though my curiosity is piqued). It seems like these people are selling something. Can you vouch for their credibility? This is great food for thought, thanks for this posting. I have to tell you, though, from a medical consumer’s (or if you prefer, beneficiary’s) point of view, your “bang for your buck” argument is more than a bit scary. Though I want others to be healthy, more than anything I want to safeguard my own personal health, no matter the the cost or the degree to which it is invasive. And if I happen to be one of those for whom lifestyle changes does not work, I don’t want to be on the outside of that “bang.”

David – I’m leery of clicking all of the links from those that have commented here (though my curiosity is piqued). It seems like these people are selling something. Can you vouch for their credibility?

]]> By: Tom Hyland Robertson, D.C. http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051&cpage=1#comment-292089 Tom Hyland Robertson, D.C. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:53:47 +0000 http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051#comment-292089 One more thing: lots and lots of Vitamin D--see Cannell and Hollis study, articles by Dr. David Seaman (founder of Deflame.com) *get some sun (sun-block free) Some cheap tests for Vit D: $30.00 www.grassrootshealth.org Anyone can order a vitamin D test through this organization that includes the top vitamin D researchers in North America. The test is performed at home via simple finger prick blood draw. $39.00 www.professionalco-op.com Doctors can contact this organization, which is a buying co-op for laboratory tests through LabCorp. $65.00 www.vitamindcouncil.org Part of the proceeds of this test go back to the Vitamin D Council. Dr. John Cannell is the Excutive Director and author of many excellent papers on vitamin D. One more thing: lots and lots of Vitamin D–see Cannell and Hollis study, articles by Dr. David Seaman (founder of Deflame.com)
*get some sun (sun-block free)
Some cheap tests for Vit D:
$30.00
http://www.grassrootshealth.org Anyone can order a vitamin D test through this organization that includes the top vitamin D researchers in North America. The test is performed at home via simple finger prick blood draw.

$39.00
http://www.professionalco-op.com Doctors can contact this organization, which is a buying co-op for laboratory tests through LabCorp.

$65.00
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org Part of the proceeds of this test go back to the Vitamin D Council. Dr. John Cannell is the Excutive Director and author of many excellent papers on vitamin D.

]]> By: Tom Hyland Robertson, D.C. http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051&cpage=1#comment-292084 Tom Hyland Robertson, D.C. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:46:51 +0000 http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051#comment-292084 1. Go one step better--reduce or eliminate all sources of omega-6 fats from your diet (see Paleo Diet, see www.deflame.com) Americans are so out of balance with too much omega-6 fats, which, from a biochemical standpoint will cause pro-inflammatory chemicals 2/3 of the time. we eat grain-fed beef, pork & chicken, farm-raised fish, and the dairy and eggs from those O-6 animals is also high in O-6. Go back to natural, grass-fed animals, wild-caught fish, wild-caught animals, free-range eggs/chickens (check out the documentary "King Corn" to see how we're overfeeding ourselves and our cows with corn). Take an O-3 supplement 2. Awesome--more exercise if you want to burn more calories 4. If you take a statin, you must also take extra co-enzyme Q10; statins also block the endogenous production of the most important antioxidant that we produce ourselves: CoQ10! Take some extra even if you don't take statins--100mg/day for average adults tends to be an adequate amount to recommend. Also, have there been any studies that show a protective effect of statin use for heart attacks? Don't think so. WHY IS CHOLESTEROL SO HIGH IN THE FIRST PLACE??? Why aren't we asking this question? 1. Go one step better–reduce or eliminate all sources of omega-6 fats from your diet (see Paleo Diet, see http://www.deflame.com) Americans are so out of balance with too much omega-6 fats, which, from a biochemical standpoint will cause pro-inflammatory chemicals 2/3 of the time. we eat grain-fed beef, pork & chicken, farm-raised fish, and the dairy and eggs from those O-6 animals is also high in O-6. Go back to natural, grass-fed animals, wild-caught fish, wild-caught animals, free-range eggs/chickens (check out the documentary “King Corn” to see how we’re overfeeding ourselves and our cows with corn). Take an O-3 supplement
2. Awesome–more exercise if you want to burn more calories
4. If you take a statin, you must also take extra co-enzyme Q10; statins also block the endogenous production of the most important antioxidant that we produce ourselves: CoQ10! Take some extra even if you don’t take statins–100mg/day for average adults tends to be an adequate amount to recommend.

Also, have there been any studies that show a protective effect of statin use for heart attacks? Don’t think so. WHY IS CHOLESTEROL SO HIGH IN THE FIRST PLACE??? Why aren’t we asking this question?

]]> By: Marcie Hascall Clark http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051&cpage=1#comment-290288 Marcie Hascall Clark Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:04:59 +0000 http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051#comment-290288 A reduction in these invasive procedures would have the added benefit of saving lives that would be lost to Hospital Acquired Infection's. But then money, the books, are why HAI's are killing so many people. A reduction in these invasive procedures would have the added benefit of saving lives that would be lost to Hospital Acquired Infection’s.
But then money, the books, are why HAI’s are killing so many people.

]]> By: #1 Dinosaur http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051&cpage=1#comment-289825 #1 Dinosaur Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:14:53 +0000 http://www.healthbusinessblog.com/?p=2051#comment-289825 @Dr. Ozner: So how do you keep the lights on and pay your staff if you don't do EKGs at every visit and annual stress tests and echocardiograms on all your patients? Surely you realize that making a living on E/M payments alone will force you to spend no more than five minutes per patient, which, as you know, is hardly enough time for the kind of intensive education and counseling efforts necessary to counter the deeply ingrained American ideal of "more is better" and "better safe than sorry" to justify every possible test. I heartily agree with you, but hope your books do well. Yours is not a model for a successful practice in today's procedurally oriented payment climate. @Dr. Ozner: So how do you keep the lights on and pay your staff if you don’t do EKGs at every visit and annual stress tests and echocardiograms on all your patients? Surely you realize that making a living on E/M payments alone will force you to spend no more than five minutes per patient, which, as you know, is hardly enough time for the kind of intensive education and counseling efforts necessary to counter the deeply ingrained American ideal of “more is better” and “better safe than sorry” to justify every possible test.

I heartily agree with you, but hope your books do well. Yours is not a model for a successful practice in today’s procedurally oriented payment climate.

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