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Dr., Full disclosure please.
Last week the below article was the subject of one of my tweets regarding lack of ethics and disclosure on part of FDA staff.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203436904577153160177537828.html?mod=WSJ_article_forsub
“FDA advisers, in a recent vote, said the benefits of four popular Bayer AG birth-control pills outweigh the blood-clot risk. What the FDA didn’t disclose is that three of the advisers have had ties to Bayer, serving as consultants, speakers or researchers.”
What the article did not cite, was weather or not any of these Bayer-compensated-FDA-panel members also approved the [tax payer] funds that made this study possible.
I’m not a fan of compulsory and mandatory healthcare for all, but Obama’s proposed rule that drug companies publicly list all payments to doctors [today's NYTimes] is a welcome disclosure for the public and long practiced elsewhere- Wall Street, yes that industry of favored scorn by democrats and republicans alike, gets it right: “Your Broker, Inc. makes a market in this stock”. Up front and in writing, the customer knows if the broker has a relationship or interest in the underlying security, whether serving as the seller or buyer, or merely facilitating the sale between parties- truly the ultimate ‘Buyer beware’ policy. Adoption of this practice is certainly a step in the right direction for the medical field, but here’s what else needs clarification:
1) Will Obama’s public this list also include/ apply to government employees like those FDA staff that approved Bayer’s product above?
2) Does this disclosure of conflict-of-interest also apply to FDA and other government agency staff when awarding grants to companies?
That would make many a physician recuse himself/herself from not only voting on the approval of drugs, but also in awarding [tax payer funded] contracts to companies that have compensated them, as this blurs the line between objective Panel reviewer and lobbyist. Id appreciated it if someone from the Obama Administration would reply to these questions- ethics can only be achieved with accountability and transparency for all.
I’d rather lose twinkies than Kodak
As an adult I realize that there is little nutritional value in the iconic snack so its possible demise isn’t as big a loss as say Kodak, although I say this as someone whose never had a fried Twinkie, even though it is on my ‘bucket’ list. But Kodak is the last bastion of traditional photography. Professional photographers, and school photography instructors have long lamented the difficulty of finding the correct roll of film, and dark rooms may be harder to come by or justify in a school’s budget. But an even greater impact will be felt by individuals who either don’t own, or want, a computer to transfer digital photographs- people like my father in law.
At 86 years young, he drives all over the continental US to visit relatives. Driving through rain, sleet, snow or hail, worthy of any mail carrier one quarter his age, his trusty camera was always at the ready. Unfortunately, he lost his camera somewhere in his travels last year and it has greatly affected him. In searching for a replacement, the major electronic chains we shopped at explained that they didn’t sell any simple click models just the disposable cameras, and even if we found a model, they would not accept it for repair.
Unlike the majority of folks whose pictures wind up on facebook and displayed for even strangers to see, his are solely for his own personal comfort and enjoyment, as he reviews each and recalls the time he spent with family- the loss of a twinkie could never be felt as severely. If there is any way for Kodak to revive itself, it would be for them to focus on the market that they and other companies have abandoned; the elderly.
Posted in Family, lifestyle
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Tagged aging, family, health, parents
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29 views
‘Diabesity’ sums it up accurately
A study was published in journal Health Affairs recently and received coverage in the NY Times,
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/economic-toll-of-diabetes-begins-early/?ref=health
The study discussed the lower earnings, graduation rates, and employment prospects for diabetics compared to their non-diabetic counterparts.
“They had lower rates of finishing high school and were less likely to move on to college than young adults who were not diabetic. By age 30, a person with diabetes is 10 percent less likely to have a job, in part because of reduced education.”
Quite a loaded statement considering it was made without regard to Type, Type 1, juvenile diabetes or Type 2, adult onset, usually brought on my obesity. This glaring omission puts these dubious findings in dispute.
To look at diabetes in vacuum is misleading and smacks of propaganda. The majority of diabetics are obese, which indicates that the challenge and discomfort of maneuvering stairs, or commuting, may account for the reduced education and job opportunities cited. It would take a study that distinguishes between Type 1 and Type 2 to determine if any of the above ‘findings’ can be attributed to weight or diabetes.
Posted in lifestyle
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Tagged diabetes, health
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68 views
New Year’s resolution: Make waves or at least ripples
Recently, I was in my local megamall and as I ascended the second floor was met with the gaze of what appeared to be a poster of naked teenage girl in the store windows of Aerie. It was a side view, covered in discreet places, but the viewer was left to interpret the model was not wearing any clothes. I immediately entered the store and asked the gal at the register to take down the poster since I considered it child pornography. She nervously explained she was only the manager on duty but would inform the store manager immediately the next day. I assured her if action was not taken swiftly I would lodge a complaint with the mall management company, explaining since it was available for all mall inhabitants to see, Aerie, and its parent company, Abercrombie and Fitch, were trafficking in child pornography- clearly I’ve seen too many Law & Order episodes.
As it was a Friday evening and the mall property’s management staff had left for the day, security staff provided me a complaint form and instructed me to return on Monday am. Upon my return Monday, the Aerie window display had been removed, I did not need to lodge a formal complaint after all, I needed only to voice my objection to a retailer dictating to me, and my children, what passes for normal.
Our daughters are constantly bombarded with messages from the media that they aren’t sexy enough, and for Jr high! since that’s Aerie’s targeted audience, ages 10 and up. If you complain about things you see or hear, but rarely voice your objection, it doesn’t take much to start a change- that you made a difference is all the reward you need to take on the bigger challenges.
Posted in education, Family, lifestyle, Parent
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Tagged family, media
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42 views
A vaccine to treat drugs, Twinkies and chocolate addictions?
So VCs spent millions on developing vaccines for people that can’t exercise control and wound up with huge losses? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/health/04vaccine.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=health
Even the lead research chemist in this field admits that a vaccine that cures a cocaine addict, does not prevent him from succumbing to amphetamines, and each would require a separate vaccine. An addicted personality could require new vaccines for every addiction “de jour” they fancy; Twinkies, chocolate, etc. I do not want to absorb such treatment costs in my health care plan.
New York, like many states, requires employers to offer plans that include addiction treatment, mental health treatment, abortion, and a whole host of services that employees may not ever utilize or have expressed a rejection of. My objection to a vaccination for addiction is not just the recidivism rate, indicating a never ending cycle of various inoculations, but that the term “vaccine” is misused to legitimize, equalize, a lack of self-control to a true disease like cancer, or an illness that is an affliction or disability. Addiction cannot be caught or transmitted; so why associated it with a term that prevents epidemics? Drug usage does not strike as cancer, polio, or mumps; it occurs solely because its host wills it to. Any stop gap measure that fails to address the compromised resistance and willpower of addiction, fails, and isn’t worthy of any tax payer or federal support.
Seeking taxpayer support when a diagnosis lacks credibility
Today’s WSJ detailed the obstacles and costs to school districts in educating disabled children, particularly when those children can’t make it into school; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904103404576558730329067142.html?KEYWORDS=cHRONIC+FATIGUE+SYNDROME.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS, is gaining attention as diagnosis of this mystery disease climbs. At the core of such mystery is no specific origin/etiology, and the symptoms are largely self-reported. According to accounts, the common symptom to these patients is pervasive and debilitating exhaustion. This is also key to individuals stricken with Celiac Disease, Lyme, Mono, Anemia, depression, an undetected ruptured or leaking appendix, and a host of other diseases and allergies. The article is silent as to whether any of these were explored or if patients ever kept a journal of each and every thing, and prescription, they ingested.
Tax payers are skeptical and they are right to be; numerous recent reports allege that the diagnosis of Autism has become so over-used, and its incidence exaggerated, that the definition is being revised to a narrow set of behaviors to make diagnosis more reliable.
While parents of children with disabilities must be vigilant in advocating for their child, this article focused on only that struggle, giving little clue, or evidentiary support as to how this child arrived in her state, for how long, or what specialists, aside from a Special Education lawyer, were consulted to improve the quality of her life, not merely her district’s educational obligation. Without chronicling such events, the diagnosis lacks credibility and tax payer support, as indicated by the overwhelmingly negative comments it generated- reader interpretation: districts, and taxpayers are being forced to cater to students who just don’t want to be in school.
Job-crushing health care bill? You betcha
“Job crushing health care bill” how many times have we heard that phrase this year? Almost as often as ‘flash floods’. Upon closer examination beyond the political sound bite, I am finding out how true that really is, particularly for the nation’s largest employer base: small businesses. As a small, o.k. miniscule, business, I can’t afford to offer health insurance for full time employees. Perhaps I could if my state, NY, didn’t require my plan to cover alcohol abuse treatment, drug treatment, obesity treatment, and yes, sex addiction treatment. In our PC world, these are now ‘diseases’. Never mind that with such abuses comes lack of productivity, and unreliability, but I am also unable replace the addicted staff without inviting a law suit, so I can’t hire other employees, and I must ensure my insurance premiums cover their treatment.
Benefits can eat up compensation and I’m sure any college grad would tell you she’d prefer higher pay rather than comprehensive health benefits, and it is this freedom that led the courts to reject the president’s compulsory insurance coverage. Given a choice she may opt for coverage if it didn’t include the expenses of care she won’t need nor seek. On the bright side, it is likely much of this health care bill will be overturned, however, I fear the damage may already be done; rising numbers of employers continue to announce they will not offer insurance in 2014.
Further, without reform to social security to prevent abusive disability claims, and tort reform to protect businesses from frivolous law suits, there is little upside to hiring stateside. Outsourcing overseas means I am free from a drug addled transgendered, cross-dressing employee claiming I discriminated against him because of his attire, lifestyle, gender/non-gender, or cocaine-residue white mustache. Abuse-inviting policies like these are the biggest threat to job creation, currently ignored by candidates on both sides of the aisle. Until reforms are accomplished in every agency, and discipline that affects health, the too few will be saddled with paying for the too many, and health care for our population will be unsustainable.
Posted in health, jobs
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Tagged health, health care, jobs
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339 views
Best prescription is a healthy dose of doubt
I had a post nasal drip all spring that had me constantly clearing my throat. I finally consulted an ENT since this extended way past the usual allergy season. The physician advised that there was no longer a usual allergy season, and prescribed nasal spray, as recounted in the recent article, http://on.wsj.com/qxvFNx via @WSJ. The first week I sprayed as instructed, but then slacked off.
Soon it was not my post nasal drip or throat clearing that alarmed me but my energy level plummeted over the next month. I’ve had low iron for most of my adult life but that has never before stopped me from my perpetual motion, and that prodded me to seek answers for my fatigue. My GP ordered blood work to rule out a list of scary terms; Lyme, Leukemia, Lupus, and that’s just L’s. Failing to detect any physical anomaly, it was suggested I might be suffering from depression and perhaps could use some medication. It seemed odd to me that someone could suffer from depression without having anything to be depressed over, but my GP stated that is frequently the case and the origin may be subconscious.
Mood enhancing/stabilizing drugs now top the list of drugs prescribed in the U.S. and I fear that these prescriptions are dispensed almost cavalierly. I declined his prescription and sought a second opinion. This consultation afforded me much more time, say 5 minutes with the doctor, and an MRI was scheduled. The results indicated that all my throat clearing had swelled my esophogus and larynx, which was affecting my thyroid. This was a temporary condition and would easily correct itself when the swelling subsided. Instead, my new physician recommended continued use of my nasal spray, vitamin B, and to give my voice a rest- tough thing for a talker like me, although my family had no complaints. I’m happy to report, after a few weeks, I’m my usual active self.
Far too often people defer to their doctor, even when their gut tells them not to. It is prudent to never lose sight of a few simple facts: a doctor has only a few minutes of discussion time, is indebted with student loans in the six figure range, may be highly distracted, often low on sleep, and while intent on serving your best interests, is human, and all humans make mistakes. A healthy dose of doubt can go a long way to preserving your health.
Posted in Family, health
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Tagged allergy, health, prescriptions
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292 views
First Zynga then an IPO for pot?
As Seinfeld’s George Costanza might say: “It’s a company about ‘nothing’, Yes NOTHING.” Groupon, Linkedin, Twitter, to name a few, have yet to make a profit but their hyped up value is based on “potential”- the potential to know, and sell, not tangible goods, just everything about you. Zynga, creator of mind-wasting/time-wasting virtual lives in Farmville and Cityville, is different than the aforementioned because it’s actually profitable, which has Wall St. singing its praises as it shores up interest in Zynga’s IPO. With this plethora of virtual “friending” and virtual living, working in Farmville and Cityville, Mafia Wars, etc. we must ask what value do these alternate realities create? While the Supreme Court failed to regulate the sale of violent/mature content in video games to children, the argument should not have been the negative affect on the minds of youth, valid, but the resultant costs of a population that wastes time, productivity and activity, and continues to decline in every categorical measure of industrial and commercial competitiveness.
We are unlikely to foster a culture of innovation when hours are spent buying virtual pigs, or weaponry. And as we lament our youth’s math and science declines among other nations, and the epidemic obesity numbers, we ignore the negative contribution these virtual experiences yield. I see no difference from the West’s profiteering that reduced millions of Chinese during the Opium wars to addicted zombies, resulting in an unproductive population for decades. Drug dealers also peddle products with alternate reality but there’s a critical distinction-they actually sell a tangible good, also of dubious/negative value to its customers, but without the hefty marketing costs, generating even higher profit margins. Stay tuned for the next buzz worthy investment- IPO for pot- after all -it makes a profit too!
Social responsibility thy name is PepsiCo
PepsiCo is taking a drubbing from investors and analysts alike. Critics claim in its effort to broaden itself, Pepsi lost focus of what really matters, Coke. Evidently the pundits have PepsiCo’s entire value wrapped into the race for the number two cola spot; number one’s been a lock for Coke for decades. Investors have the attention span of a hummingbird responsible for market dips and turns that only Coney Island’s Cyclone can compare.
CEO Indra Noorvi has made smart acquisition choices so far and her expansion outside a beverage with no consumptive value, will prove equally wise as authorities’ and legislators’ response to health concerns begins to affect PepsiCo’s snack and soda revenue. Coca Cola’s offerings may not fare so well. I’m not a soda drinker, but will be her customer since she places a value on social responsibility. Then again, she’s a Mom and we answer to a ‘higher authority’ than those short sighted analysts. Kudos to Noorvi for bucking the trend serving products with a health value to her customers.
Posted in health
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Tagged family, food, grocery, health, Pepsi, PepsiCo, soda
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455 views
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