Author: SupremeCmdr
The Power of New Media
I am hardly the expert on the varied forms of communications technology conveniently described as the New Media. But managing technology operations for two companies has taught me the simple rule of paying attention. Examples of paying attention (and not paying attention) abound. I happened to notice the number of text messages delivered by cell phone companies exceeded the number of phone calls for the first time a couple of months ago. My personal phone bill last month included nearly 5400 text messages on my son’s line.
And that’s a light month compared to the 8000+ month he had earlier this year.
The point I’m making is also simple. Pay attention to the new methods of communication and the communities that are being created. These communities are powerful. They can and will change your business in ways we have yet to imagine. For an illustration of my point, read this article.
Listen and Learn – They Will Eat the Double Cheeseburger and NOT the Statin
Non-compliance with medical advice or medications is not a good prescription for future outcomes. Underwriters need to know which side of the compliance fence the applicant is on.
Many Patients On Cholesterol Meds Stop Treatment : NPR
Go to Hank George’s website for a good read on non-compliance.
Risk-Taking Behavior: Noncompliance with Medical Advice | Hank George INC
Listen and Learn – Statins for Everybody
Here are a few links that provide some more insight into the recent results from the Jupiter study.
Study: Statin Helps Even If Cholesterol Is Normal : NPR
In Lowering Cholesterol, How Low Do You Go? : NPR
You can read the NEJM abstract here:
NEJM — Rosuvastatin to Prevent Vascular Events in Men and Women with Elevated C-Reactive Protein
And a Side Order of Cancer with My Double Cheeseburger (hold the statins)
Don’t take this the wrong way. I definitely enjoy a big, juicy double cheeseburger every now and then. I’ve been known to sneak one of those dollar specials into my system too. But in all honesty, I’ll have a large slider maybe just once a month.
Fries too.
Unabashed Self-Promotion
Contact me if your company wants help in designing lifestyle stuff for underwriting purposes.
Newswise Medical News | Saturated Fat Linked to Cancer of the Small Intestine
Mine’s 72. What’s Yours?
More Scary Stuff
Most people who know me know I’m fairly diligent about exercise and diet. They also know I enjoy my glass of anti-platelet aggregation liquid in the evening. But most who know me, don’t know I used to weigh 350 pounds. I lost my weight back in the 70’s (that’s 19 not 18 70’s). So it pains me to read an article like this. The sample size may be small, but the results do not surprise me nor are they encouraging regarding the current health of our kids and the future health status of these guys when they grow up.
Check out this scary stuff. The future of underwriting looks bright.
Child Obesity Seen as Warning of Heart Disease – NYTimes.com
NOT Racial Profiling
Check out the non-white negative outcomes percentage.
Newswise Medical News | Age, Race Are Among Factors That Influence Carotid-Surgery Success
Listen and Learn – Recent Diabetes Research
Add +50 Debits up to Decline
The connection between OSA and SCD is getting stronger according to a recent study by the Mayo Clinic. This information has profound implications for how life underwriters approach this combination of impairments. When I started in the profession last century, not much thought (or rating) was given to OSA. Times have changed and we now know more about the risk.
Will we use this new data or once again succumb to market forces?
lifeunderwriter.net 
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