Medical News

Friends and Mortality

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Well – What Are Friends For? A Longer Life – NYTimes.com

There was a time in my working career when I complained about the lack of a social life. Work, take care of family, work, repeat. Well, a couple of years ago I started reconnecting. My significant other was truly amazed. I was amazed.

Add this to your list of stuff underwriters don’t routinely ask about. A 22% reduction in risk is significant. Be sure to read the Australian study abstract. Then tell your boss you’re designing the first mortality risk friendship questionnaire.

How to Predict the Probability of ESRD

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Medical News: Two Tests Are Better Than One for Renal Disease Prognosis – in Nephrology, ESRD from MedPage Today

Among the predictive models, the best clinical model based on age, gender, physical activity, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication, and HDL cholesterol correctly classified 86.4% of patients in the general population who did and did not progress to end-stage renal disease.

The albumin-to-creatinine ratio performed better, correctly identifying 89.3%. Estimated GFR alone was better yet (93.3%).

Combining the two marginally improved prediction overall (93.6%), but substantially improved the more important true-positive rate across all potential screening populations.

Mean Green Beats H. pylori

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Medical News: Chemical in Broccoli Fights H. Pylori Infection – in Primary Care, Diet & Nutrition from MedPage Today

Conflict of interest noted.

Dr. Fahey is a co-founder of Brassica Protection Products, a company that is licensed by Johns Hopkins to produce broccoli sprouts. J.W. Fahey may be entitled to royalty payments from the sale of broccoli sprouts, and terms of this arrangement are being managed by Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict of interest policies.

Mean Green

Mean Green

Binge Drinking – the MMWR Version

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Sociodemographic Differences in Binge Drinking Among Adults — 14 States, 2004

I like the Medpage article title better but the details in the original MMWR summary are a lot better.  For example:

However, after adjusting for sex and age, the highest average number of binge drinking episodes during the preceding 30 days was reported by binge drinkers whose household income was <$25,000. (4.9), and the highest average number of drinks per binge episode was reported by non-Hispanic blacks (8.4) and Hispanics (8.1).

Know your sources, read widely, and don’t make broad assumptions from titles.

Size Matters – J-Shaped Mortality Curve With BMI

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While browsing the online Lancet website I came accross the following article.  A J-shaped mortality curve should come as no surprise.

The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 18 March 2009

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60318-4Cite or Link Using DOI
Editors’ note: Around the world, increasing body-mass index (BMI) is a major public concern. Rightly so, according to this international collaborative analysis of almost 1 million people, followed from middle age in 57 prospective studies. A J-shaped mortality curve is observed, with optimal survival at a BMI of 22•5–25 kg/m2. Above this range, mortality from several causes—especially vascular diseases—was increased. Moderate obesity (BMI 30–35) was associated with 3 years’ loss of life. People with extreme obesity (BMI 40–50) lost 10 years of life, equivalent to the years lost by lifetime smoking.