Andrew Griffith's Blog, page 29
October 16, 2012
Has the health industry co-opted patient engagement? | Reporting on Health
The next frontier of drug marketing through participation and/or sponsoring of patient engagement or other fora, without clear disclosure. One of the reasons I prefer to participate in recognized organization fora like LLS, rather than some of the more commercial fora that have emerged (although I have explored PatientsLikeMe). As always, read the ‘About’ section [...]
Why the sedentary life is killing us – The Globe and Mail
I have seen other studies or reports with similar findings. Inactivity as the new smoking. Quote: The researchers found that the least active, essentially those who sit all day, had a: 147-per-cent increased risk of heart attack or stroke; 112-per-cent increase in the risk of developing diabetes; 90-per-cent greater risk of dying from a cardiac [...]
170 Million Years of Healthy Life Lost to Cancer in 2008
While the headline is largely meaningless without any comparative data on other diseases such as heart disease, it nevertheless is useful in highlighting that cancer strikes far too many people at too young an age. Highlights of the study: The main contributors to the total cancer burden (i.e., total DALYs) in most world regions were [...]
The $1,000 Genome Is Almost Here-–Are We Ready? | Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network
Another good piece on the challenges of using genetic information in a healthcare and clinical setting. Quote: The science community has the technology to read and assemble the human genome, to efficiently store it, and run suitable analyses. But to achieve a broader embrace of the $1000 genome, the public itself will need more education [...]
Cost Matters Not Just in Cancer Care But In Other Diseases Too – Forbes
Further to the op-ed by Memorial Sloan-Kettering oncologists (A Hospital Says ‘No’ to an $11,000-a-Month Cancer Drug), more on how cost considerations are increasingly playing a role in deciding which drugs to use, and the requirement for better outcomes and benefits to justify additional cost. Quote: The Ben Goldacres of the world will claim that [...]
October 15, 2012
Americans Get Fatter, Drunker: Scientific American
Good maps and analysis of the mixed health picture: tobacco use down, exercise up, but as the headline says, more obesity and more drinking. Americans Get Fatter, Drunker: Scientific American. Filed under: Cancer, Lymphoma Tagged: alcohol, exercise, Health, Medicine, nutrition, obesity, scientific american, smoking, tobacco
Too Much of a Selfless Good Thing: Pathological Altruism | World of Psychology
A take on the risks of being overly altruistic (e.g., helicopter parenting, codependency, suicide martyrdom) to counterpose most of the thinking on the risks of selfishness. The usual recommendations: step back from the situation, think about the other person and what might work best for him or her, and whether intervention would help or hinder. [...]
How doctors use Twitter to battle emotional fatigue
A reminder, as if we need it, that our oncologists and hematologists are all too human in their care and support for us, and how the support from their colleagues and friends, involvement in outside activities, helps them cope when they cannot help their patients. Quote: “I’ve recognized that I struggle with becoming emotionally fatigued [...]
Our big brains may make us prone to cancer – New Scientist
An interesting correlation on the side effect of bigger brains and increased risk of cancer, as human cells have a lower tendency to self-destruct (apoptosis) when no longer needed than cells from other primates. More awe and wonder at just how complex we are. Quote: [Todd] Preuss says that lower levels of apoptosis could also [...]
A Hospital Says ‘No’ to an $11,000-a-Month Cancer Drug – NYTimes.com
A good piece by Memorial Sloan-Kettering oncologists on intelligent and appropriate cost considerations in medication use and choice, and when not to use more expensive treatments. What I find interesting is that both drugs mentioned, the cheaper Avastin and the twice as high Zaltrap only prolong life by an average of 1.4 months, not years. [...]
