Lack of Insurance = Death for the not wealthy

Health Insurance and Mortality in US Adults

Andrew P. Wilper, MD, MPH, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH, Karen E. Lasser, MD, MPH, Danny McCormick, MD, MPH, David H. Bor, MD, and David U. Himmelstein, MD

The United States stands alone among industrialized nations in not providing health cov- erage to all of its citizens. Currently, 46 million Americans lack health coverage. Despite re-peated attempts to expand health insurance, uninsurance remains commonplace among US adults.

Health insurance facilitates access to health care services and helps protect against the high costs of catastrophic illness. Relative to the uninsured, insured Ameri- cans are more likely to obtain recommended screening and care for chronic conditions and are less likely to suffer undiagnosed chronic conditions3 or to receive substandard medical care.

Numerous investigators have found an as- sociation between uninsurance and death. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that 18314 Americans aged between 25 and 64 years die annually because of lack of health insurance, comparable to deaths because of diabetes, stroke, or homicide in 2001 among persons aged 25 to 64 years.

 The IOM estimate was largely based on a single study by Franks et al. However, these data are now more than 20 years old; both medical therapeutics and the demography of the uninsured have changed in the interim.

We analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). NHANES III collected data on a representative sample of Americans, with vital status follow-up through 2000. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between uninsurance and death.

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Cell Phones and Brain Tumors: 2010 Update 

Health risks associated with cell phones and other radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are not as debated as was the case a few years ago.  Each year the adverse effects associated with cell phone use becomes clearer.  There are over 4.6 billion cell phones in use today and that number is rapidly growing. Much of the increase finds cell phones in the hands of the children and adolescents who, because their nervous systems are not fully developed, are most vulnerable to brain tumors.

Recent research has shed more light on the relationship between cell phone use and the development of brain neoplasms.  Although there is still some debate related to the level of exposure, that debate has been limited to other issues.  This last year a number of studies were published that presented similar findings to what the following paper concluded, “The very linear relationship between cell phone usage and brain tumor incidence is disturbing and certainly needs further epidemiological evaluation.  In the meantime, it would be prudent to limit exposure to all sources of electro-magnetic radiation.”  Another similar study stated that “Individuals who begin exposure at younger ages are more vulnerable. These data indicate that the existing standards for radiofrequency exposure are not adequate. While there are many unanswered questions, the cost of doing nothing will result in an increasing number of people, many of them young, developing cancer.”

A review and critique of two important recent studies (Hardell and Interphone) suggests that, due to some bias in the research designs, the risk of brain tumors is actually greater than has been previously reported.  “For the time being, evidence collected in epidemiological studies points rather to an underestimation of risk from mobile phone use and less bias in the Hardell studies as compared to those of the Interphone group that are affected by selection and possibly also by misclassification bias.”  One problem with earlier epidemiological studies is the lack of data.  With time and the capturing of better data we will know more as there is still no definitive long term use data available. 

With the dramatic increase in the use of cell phones it is speculated that we will likely see a marked rise in brain tumors over the next decade.   (Click link see all articles)

Alcohol Doesn't Actually Kill Brain Cells

Recently, I've felt like everything that I learned in grade school is a lie. The Triceratops might not have existed, Pluto isn't a planet, and now this: alcohol doesn't actually kill brain cells. Yes, that's right. Alcohol neither kills nor prunes the little party of punctilious petri specimens we have in our heads. I recently read Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine, by Stephen Braum, and came across this nugget: "... alcohol does many things to the brain, one thing it clearly doesn't do is wipe out neurons indiscriminately." So I turned to a quick survey of reputable sources and, what do you know, there seems to be enough research to back it up. Furthermore, it's old news:

 "... one thing people who drink socially probably don't need to worry about is sacrificing brain cells in the process. The research indicates that adults who drink in moderation are not in danger of losing brain cells."
— The New York Times

"Even in alcoholics, alcohol use doesn't actually result in the death of brain cells."
— Discovery Health

Really, though, all those times I held back for fear that one more beer bong would render me a festering idiot, spitting and muttering monosyllabic phrases like Homer Simpson, I could have drank myself, well, the same? It boggles the mind. Actually, it erases the mind. We all know that despite the salvation of brain cells, binge drinking reduces our ability to remember—this is good or bad depending on your perspective and the exact contents of those potential memories. It especially makes learning difficult. (Is that why drunken people often seem impervious to direction and consolation?) From Braum:

 ... [R]esearch shows that alcohol—even at very low doses—disrupts the cellular machinery most widely believed to underlie our ability to form new memories.

It bears noting that there are other dangers at play. Excessive drinking can further impair brain function and result in neurological disorders, but the message is loud and clear. Whilst we may unlearn those precious memories of youth, we thankfully can forget that any such unlearning has ever occurred in the course of a few drinks and return to the ignorance of more innocent times when Triceratops battled Tyrannosaurus Rex and Pluto was more than Disney's dawdling dog.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2011/01/good-news-alcohol-doesnt-actually-kill-brain-cells/70082/

2010's Hall of Shame: The Year in Pills

By MARTHA ROSENBERG

2010 will go down as the year the diet pill Meridia and pain pill Darvon were withdrawn from the market and the heart-attack associated diabetes drug Avandia was severely restricted.

But it was also the year the Justice Department filed the first criminal, not civil, charges against a drug company executive. Lauren Stevens, a former VP and assistant general counsel at GlaxoSmithKline, hid some 1,000 instances of GSK-paid doctors illegally promoting Wellbutrin to other doctors, say authorities.

It was also the year prominent psychiatrists Charles Nemeroff and Alan Schatzberg were accused of writing an entire book for GSK called Recognition and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Psychopharmacology Handbook for Primary Care.

Here are the drugs which make 2010's Hall of Shame.

Yaz and Yasmin

Soon after Bayer launched the pill Yaz in 2006, billing it as going "beyond birth control," 18-year-olds were coming down with blood clots, gall bladder disease, heart attacks and even strokes. FDA ordered Bayer to run correction ads that detail the drugs' risks though Yaz sales are still brisk. In fact, financial analysts attribute a third quarter slump to a Yaz generic coming online, not dangerous side effects.

Lyrica, Topamax and Lamictal

In August FDA ordered a warning on the seizure drug Lamictal for aseptic meningitis (brain inflammation) but it is still the darling of military and civilian doctors for unapproved pain and migraine uses. All three drugs increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors according to their mandated labels, in addition to the memory and hair loss patients report.

Humira, Prolia and TNF Blockers

The drug industry's highly promoted biologic drugs are made from genetically engineered hamster cells and suppress the immune system, inviting tuberculosis and several cancers. Yet Humira is advertised to healthy people for "clearer skin" and Prolia is advertised to prevent osteoporosis in healthy women.

Chantix

After 397 FDA cases of possible psychosis, 227 domestic reports of suicidal behaviors and 28 actual suicides, the government banned pilots, air-traffic controllers and interstate truck and bus drivers from taking the antismoking drug Chantix in 2008. Its neuropsychiatric effects were immortalized when New Bohemians musician Carter Albrecht was shot to death in 2007 in Texas by a neighbor after acting aggressively on the Chantix.

Ambien

The sleeping pill Ambien was immortalized as the drug Tiger Woods reportedly cavorted with his consorts on and former US Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his Ford Mustang on, while driving to Capitol Hill in the middle of the night to "vote" in 2006. Law enforcement officials say it has increased traffic accidents from people who drive in a black out and don't even recognize arresting officers.

Tamoxifen

Is it a coincidence that Tamoxifen maker AstraZeneca founded Breast Cancer Awareness Month and makes carcinogenic agrochemicals that cause breast cancer? As a breast cancer prevention drug, an American Journal of Medicine study found the average life expectancy increase from Tamoxifen was nine day . Public Citizen says for every case of breast cancer prevented on Tamoxifen there is a life-threatening case of blood clots, stroke or endometrial cancer.

Lipitor and Crestor

Why is Lipitor the best selling drug in the world? Because every adult with high LDL or fear of high LDL is on it. And also 2.8 million children, says Consumer Reports. All statins can cause muscle breakdown called rhabdomyolysis. And Crestor is so linked to the side effect, Public Citizen calls it a Do Not Use and the FDA's David Graham named it one of the five most dangerous drugs before at a Congressional hearing.

Boniva

Boniva and other bisphosphonate bone drugs are a good example of FDA approving once unapprovable drugs by transferring risk onto the public's shoulders. The list of dangers on the label includes waiting 60 minutes before eating or drinking anything except plain water, never taking the drug with mineral water, sparkling water, coffee, tea, milk, juice or other oral medicine, including calcium, antacids, or vitamins and not lying down after you take it.
Prempro

Pfizer's hormone drug Prempro is linked to a 26 percent increase in breast cancer, 41 percent increase in strokes, 29 percent increase in heart attacks, 22 percent increase in cardiovascular disease and double the rate of blood clots. But its cognitive and cardiovascular "benefits" are being tested right now at major universities to debut an HT "Light," hoping the public has a short memory.

Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, SSRIs

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) antidepressants like Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Lexapro probably did more to inflate drug industry profits than Viagra. But many say the drugs have also inflated police blotters. In addition to 4,200 published reports of SSRI-related violence, including the Columbine, Red Lake and NIU shootings, SSRIs can cause serotonin syndrome and gastrointestinal bleeding when taken with certain drugs. Paxil is linked to birth defects.

Effexor, Cymbalta, Pristiq, SNRIs

Selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are like their SSRIs chemical cousins except their norepinephrine effects can modulate pain, which has ushered in your-depression-is-really-pain, your-pain-is-really-depression and other crossover marketing. SNRI's are also harder to quit than SSRIs. 739,000 web sites address "Effexor" and "withdrawal."
Seroquel, Zyprexa, Geodon, atypical antipsychotics

The antipsychotic Seroquel tops 71 drugs on the FDA's January 2010 adverse event report and is linked to unexplained troop deaths and many research scandals. But it's the fifth biggest-selling drug in the world. Atypical antipsychotics cause weight gain and diabetes, the tardive dyskinesia they are marketed to prevent and death in the demented elderly. Yet FDA approved Zyprexa and Seroquel for children last year and the new atypical antipsychotic, Latuda this year. Maybe the FDA is bipolar.

Ritalin, Concerta, Strattera, Adderall and ADHD Drugs

ADHD drugs rob "kids of their right to be kids, their right to grow, their right to experience their full range of emotions, and their right to experience the world in its full hue of colors," says Anatomy of an Epidemic author Robert Whitaker. But they are a gold mine for the drug industry. During an August conference call with financial analysts, Shire specialty pharmaceuticals president Mike Cola lauded the "very dynamic ADHD market," and the "co-administration market" (in which kids don't need one drug but several.

Gardasil and Cervarix Vaccines

A pharma-government plot to inoculate the public with dangerous vaccines? Maybe not but why are governors like Texas' Rick Perry mandating vaccination of girls for HPV? And why was University of Queensland lecturer Andrew Gunn silenced when he questioned the Gardasil vaccine? The HPV vaccine doesn't work for all viral strains, requires a boo$ter and is linked to 56 US girls' deaths as of September, according to the CDC.

Foradil Aerolizer, Serevent Diskus, Advair and Symbicort

Unlike drugs that look safe in trials and develop "safety signals" postmarketing, the long-acting beta agonists (LABA), salmeterol and formoterol, found in many asthma drugs, never looked safe. Studies link them to an increase in asthma deaths, especially in African-Americans and children. They may have contributed to 5,000 deaths said Dr. David Graham at FDA hearings about the controversial asthma drugs.

Singulair and Accolate, leukotriene receptor antagonists

Leukotriene receptor antagonists also never looked safe. Original FDA reviewers said asthma control "deteriorates" on Singulair and it may not be safe in children. Last month, Fox TV reported Singulair, Merck's top selling drug, is suspected of producing aggression, hostility, irritability, anxiety, hallucinations and night-terrors in kids, symptoms that are being diagnosed as ADHD. It is huckstered to parents by the trusted educational service Scholastic, Inc. and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Martha Rosenberg can be reached at: martharosenberg@sbcglobal.net