Coming February 6, 2024 . . .
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
Coming February 6, 2024 . . . MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
By Gina Kolata, New York Times, May 16/17, 2012
[....] a new study that makes use of powerful databases of genetic information has found that raising HDL levels may not make any difference to heart disease risk. People who inherit genes that give them naturally higher HDL levels throughout life have no less heart disease than those who inherit genes that give them slightly lower levels. If HDL were protective, those with genes causing higher levels should have had less heart disease.
Researchers not associated with the study, published online Wednesday in The Lancet, found the results compelling and disturbing. Companies are actively developing and testing drugs that raise HDL, although three recent studies of such treatments have failed. And patients with low HDL levels are often told to try to raise them by exercising or dieting or even by taking niacin, which raised HDL but failed to lower heart disease risk in a recent clinical trial.
“I’d say the HDL hypothesis is on the ropes right now,” said Dr. James A. de Lemos, a professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who was not involved in the study [....]
My comment: repeat after me:
1) medicine is an art and not a science
2) first, do no harm
Oh and, to all you retired docs out there: ever think how lucky you are that there was never a class action suit by all the people who had their tonsils taken out for no reason? Bet today's news reminds you of when you told everyone to eat margarine instead of butter for cardiovascular health!
Comments
As someone with low HDL levels (and low LDL levels, as well), I find this to be good news. I'm not surprised by it, since longevity also runs in my family. That said, increasing one's exercise and improving* one's diet is surely a good thing.
On my blood tests, my total cholesterol level is actually below the "healthy" range. My doctor said not to worry about it, since I'm otherwise healthy. He said that there is a correlation between people with very low cholesterol and poor health, but that he believes the causation is in the opposite direction. I.e., some people in poor health don't eat much and their cholesterol levels drop.
*What it means to improve one's diet is obviously a matter of debate. I subscribe to Pollan's simple mantra, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."
by Verified Atheist on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 9:24am
I subscribe to Pollan's simple mantra, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."
Myself, I question even that for all, though I think it's probably best for most. The spouse is one of those people--often male--who seems to feel better and be healthier when skewing towards large doses of animal protein, caveman style. He seems to eat more and gain weight, get sluggish and grumpy, catch bugs, have digestive complications, when he tries to cut animal protein down.
I am encouraged, though, by what I have seen and heard from the youngest docs in training right now. They really do finally seem to have been taught to diagnose and treat "wholistically" for each individual, at least as best as they can with the current knowledge of the human bod.
by artappraiser on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 9:39am