“In May, the Commonwealth Fund issued its latest comparison of the U.S. medical system with five other wealthy nations’ systems: Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and Great Britain. Predictably, the study begins: ‘Despite having the most costly health system in the world, the United States consistently underperforms.’ I was immediately suspicious, considering the loaded […]
“The headline for this story is not a typo. The push to sell more vaccines and pharmaceuticals has now reached a level of absurdity that should astonish any intelligent person. The mainstream media is now reporting — and I’m not kidding — that young boys should be vaccinated with Gardasil (the drug now being pushed […]
“Although some guys aren’t opposed to smoking some weed, most wouldn’t think of eating one. It’s a shame, really, since a succulent weed named purslane is not only delicious but also among the world’s healthiest foods. Of course, there are many superfoods that never see the inside of a shopping cart. Some you’ve never heard […]
“After extending healthcare coverage to more than 150,000 previously uninsured residents over the past year, Massachusetts health reform took a turn for the worse this month with the Patrick administration’s proposal to limit the state’s Free Care Pool. The Free Care Pool exists to catch those who fall through the cracks of both private and […]
“It’s testament to the extremism of the Republican base that Mitt Romney — a genuinely accomplished governor — is having to twist away from his signature achievement as governor of Massachusetts. Romney, after all, crafted and passed a universal health reform bill. You’d think that would be a big part of his presidential campaign, but […]
“Whether it’s a hernia repair or heart bypass, doctors with a lot of experience performing a given operation tend to have better results. The problem for patients in choosing a physician has been finding out which ones have the know-how. Now a court ruling appears to open the way for consumer access to such information […]
“Women who have their ovaries removed before menopause run a heightened risk of developing dementia or other mental problems later in life — unless they take estrogen until age 50, a new study suggests. Experts said the research needs to be confirmed by further study, but the findings suggest another issue for premenopausal women and […]
“U.S. cancer doctors on Thursday plan to ratchet up pressure on the federal Medicare agency to reverse new limits on use of anemia drugs made by Amgen Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. An official with the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a powerful lobby of cancer doctors, said they will formally ask that the U.S. […]
“Medications and lifestyle recommendations to improve daily asthma control and prevent attacks should be tailored to each patient, based on age and the changing course of the disease, say new guidelines released Wednesday. ‘What’s new is the emphasis on prevention,’ says Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of […]
“Only 12 percent of teenagers in the United States got a meningitis shot recommended by U.S. health officials, according to a government survey released Thursday. And only 11 percent got another relatively new shot, one that guards against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough…. Health officials say children should get both shots when they are 11 […]
