Health

Out of Control Libel Laws in Britain

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In case you may have missed the recent happenings surrounding libel lawsuits in Britain, I am writing this blog post.  It is unfortunate that due to English libel laws, journalists are not able to articulate their thoughts on medical issues due to the fear of being sued. This fear is already causing many to not write articles that may criticize medical procedures and alternative medicine approaches due to weak scientific or no scientific evidence. I encourage you to read and visit http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/cracking-the-spine-of-libel/ if you care about making a difference and helping to get the law changed in England so that the public can learn about dangerous and perhaps not even needed medical procedures and treatments.

Interesting Article on Health Care

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I very interesting article was posted in The Atlantic by David Goldhill. The article is tilted “How American Health Care Killed my Father.” The article discusses a businessmen and his views and experiences on health-care which led to his father’s death in the ICU. He discusses his thoughts on what is wrong with the health care system in the United States and what some of his suggestions are. You can read the article in full at http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200909/health-care

Malpractice Liability Damage Caps and Their Effects on Rural Doctors

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According to a paper by David A Matsa. who is an economics professor their is an effect on medical malpractice liability damage caps. In other words, the amount of money you can get if you sue a physician if something goes wrong is capped and you can only get X amount back as determined by a law in your state. (I have discussed this issue on my website about the legal standpoint of wisdom teeth removal.) Matsa finds that “Back-of-the-envelope calculation using estimates presented… implies that the enactments of damage caps are responsible for approximately 17 percent of the increase in frontier rural specialists in these states since 1970.” Even so, Matsa finds that there really is no significant effect on physician supply for most Americans (those who do not live in rural areas). If you are interested in the … Read more

People Often Tend to Find Like Minded Information

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A new analysis of data from numerous studies shows that while people tend to avoid information that contradicts what they already think or believe, certain factors can cause them to seek out, or at least consider, other points of view. A new analysis was lead by researchers at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida and included data from nearly a 100 studies and 8,000 participants. The team also included researchers from Northwestern University and Ohio University. The studies they reviewed generally asked participants about their views on a given topic and then allowed them to choose whether they wanted to view or read information supporting their own or an opposing point of view. The researchers found that people are about twice as likely to select information that supports their own point of view, 67%, as to consider … Read more

Patients With Moderate To Severe Periodontitis Need to Be Evaluated For Cardiovascular Problems

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According to a paper by editors of The American Journal of Cardiology and Journal of Peridontology patients with moderate to severe periodontitis should receive evaluation and possible treatment to reduce their risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease which is the accumulation of lipid products within the arterial vascular wall.. For those not sure, periodontisis is a bacterially-induced, chronic inflammatory disease, that destroys connective tissue and bone that supports the teeth. In the United States it affects 30 to 50% of adults in the more mild and moderate forms and the severe form affects 5 to 15% of all adults in the USA. The explanation for the link between periodontitis and atherosclerotic CVD is not yet clear, but a leading candidate is inflammation caused by the immune system. In recent years the inflammation is now recognized as a significant active participant in … Read more