- Study: a brisk walk is healthier that an slow walk. Brisk walkers had a 35 per cent lower risk of dying, a 25 per cent lower chance of developing heart disease or cancer and a 30 per cent lower risk of developing dementia, compared with those whose average pace was slower.
- Evidence: since we know green tea is good for you, matcha (a jade-colored powdered green tea might be even better.
- Marriage researchers can tell whether a relationship will last and be happy by observing a couple for just 15 minutes.
- Discrimination in hiring: the USA has one of the lower rates of discrimination while France and perhaps also Sweden have very high levels.
Category: News and Events
Do You Want Your Test Results Before Your Doctor?
The Cures Act signed into law in 2016 by then President Obama included many provisions. One was medical test results must be available for patients to review without delay. While doctors and patients universally think this is a desirable outcome, The New York Times found reasons to criticize it.
Its intention was to bring health care into the modern era. And the provision has successfully given patients easy access to their medical records, empowering them to play a more active role in their care by eliminating the doctor as gatekeeper.
But it has also led to experiences like mine, in which patients are confronted with material they never wanted to see. Some have learned about life-altering diagnoses and developments — from cancer to chronic illness to miscarriage — through emails and online portals, left to process the information alone.
The $1 Million a Year Drug Club is Growing
On September 30 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, Relyvrio, a drug to slow the progression of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The approval was controversial. The FDA usually requires at least two clinical trials but will on occasion accept one trial if the trial was robust and the data provides persuasive evidence…
Monday Links
- CBO: competition and price transparency are the best ways to lower private sector health care costs.
- Nurse fired for refusing to admit she’s a racist. (WSJ)
- Against hormone therapy for children.
- When the dangers of one type of drug addiction become widely known, teenagers switch to another addictive drug. (NYT)
- Why did McKinsey get into the addiction business? (NYT)