Medical News
Listen and Learn – One Double Cheeseburger and a side of Colorectal Cancer
Alarming Numbers For Black Men And Colorectal Cancer : NPR
Yet another post in the periodic Double Cheeseburger series. Pay particular attention to the last two minutes of this podcast for an excellent risk factor summary and recommendations for lifestyle changes. There is a lot of relevant information for assessing risk in this short interview.
Disappearing Docs
Doctor and Patient – Where Have All the Doctors Gone? – NYTimes.com
When I learned the tools of the trade last century, I was taught to be highly suspicious of applicants for life insurance who claimed not to have a family medicine/primary care MD. I also know that if evidence presents itself to change an opinion or belief, you should do so.
The numbers are staggering and I no longer view applicants without a PCP as suspiciously as I once did.
Less suspicious does not mean the absence of suspicion. After all, a suspicious underwriter is a good underwriter.
Med + VOO and Nuts to You
I am particularly fond of cashews and EVOO. My favorite EVOO is Borges. It won’t be long before we design dietary drill downs for our tele-underwriting scripts.
Higher CV Risk and All-Cause Mortality – Pay Attention to Your GFR
The results of this study seem sort of obvious to me but still may be of some benefit for the younger members of our profession.
CKD Risk and High HgbA1c
The more we know, the less we know. The study population is small, but the findings merit our collective attention. Think about these things the next time you are considering credits for the absence of retinopathy and/or albuminuria in a diabetic applicant.
Watch, Listen and Learn – Sleeping is Good for Your Heart
Now I have another excuse for naps. Lack of Sleep & CAD
Vitamin D and All-Cause Mortality
Follow this link to The American Academy of Dermatology homepage to download a PDF version of the AAD’s position statement on Vitamin D. We are seeing a lot more older age applicants and it is critical for underwriters to factor in low Vitamin D levels when assessing such risks.
Very few foods in nature contain Vitamin D (but you already knew that, didn’t you?).
Low levels of Vitamin D have a higher risk of all-cause mortality.
Click this link to access a good article on Vitamin D deficiency and higher all-cause mortality.
Primary Care Metabolic Group – Vitamin D Deficiency
May I recommend a couple of glasses of soymilk daily?
Watch, Listen and Learn – Do COPD Meds Really Raise CV Risk?
The numbers in the study are small. Hence, this is a non-issue for underwriting purposes.
Watch, Listen, and Learn – Antiplatelet Therapy
Clinical Review: Antiplatelet Therapy Post ACS and Stenting
The clinical review videos from the ACC website are quite good. Make these mandatory for your underwriting staff. They are short and very informative.
lifeunderwriter.net 
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