While the US is a global leader in medical innovation, cutting-edge technologies, and drug development, these home grown advancements are not making Americans healthier or wealthier. Compared to the wealthiest countries in the world, Americans have a shorter lifespan despite spending over twice as much on healthcare. This newsletter will provide you with insights for healthier living, arm you with information on the business of your healthcare, and provide steps to enhance your overall health and well-being. We aim to help you live longer while saving money and we hope to reverse this unacceptable trend for the number one economy in the world:

Live Longer 

Check your blood pressure!

• 45% of US adults (119 million people) have high blood pressure; 75% remain uncontrolled. (CDC)
• High blood pressure (above 130/80 mmHg) increases your heart attack or stroke risk. It can severely disable or kill you (and shorten your lifespan).
• Most often you don't know you have it, which is why it's known as the "silent killer"; take proactive steps to protect your health and get this checked. 
• If you have the condition, take your medicine as prescribed, don't miss it, and check your blood pressure regularly.
• Surprisingly, certain mouthwashes can elevate blood pressure by eliminating helpful nitric oxide-producing bacteria in your mouth. No kidding, see this illuminating interview by one of the original researchers on nitric oxide. 
• If you have high BP, we'd recommend purchasing an at-home monitor, Omron makes a good one, with a simple cuff design that makes it easy to take your own readings. There are other monitors that are affordable and highly recommended.  Having access to these devices will allow for readings in the morning and night and improve accuracy.

 

The business around your healthcare 

Did you realize that over the past 40 years we have experienced the corporate takeover of medical science? 

• Most articles in scientific journals are funded or sponsored by corporations.
• The Bayh-Dole Act enabled universities and nonprofits to commercialize discoveries made by their scientists and keep the profits.
• This shifted the control of research from academic centers to industry, which can manipulate the data and the peer-review process, creating bias. 
• For example, more than 10,000 research papers were retracted in 2023 due to sham papers and peer-review fraud, a new record.
• Americans should be skeptical of new drugs, as only one out of four is significantly better than older, cheaper alternatives.
• For more on this see Dr. John Abramson's Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It (2022).

 

Take Action

If you aspire to better health, take action. Better health typically involves developing better habits.  James Clear's "Atomic Habits" offers a refreshingly simple way to create good habits and break bad habits:

Create a Good Habit:

• Make it Obvious
• Make it Attractive
• Make it Easy
• Make it Satisfying

Break a Bad Habit:

• Make it Invisible
• Make it Unattractive
• Make it Difficult
• Make it Unsatisfying

Implement these strategies to transform your habits for a healthier and more fulfilling life. Don't overdue it, start small, get into a new routine, then make it bigger. 

 

Have a restful weekend and stay healthy friends.  

 

Matt McCord, MD

Founder and President, Benesan.org