Check out this article. It was published in the leading cardiology journal Circulation in 1988. In this very elegant study, patients had had a previous cardiac catheterization at least a month before their heart attack which was caused by a clot which originated at a site of cholesterol plaque rupture or erosion. There was a catheterization prior to the heart attack and at the time of the heart attack. Most of the arteries involved in the acute event (66%) had less than a 50% chronic blockage prior to the heart attack. In fact, only 1% had a blockage of 70% or greater that is required to merit stent placement. That means chronically blocked arteries with a stent or a bypass cannot prevent a heart attack or sudden death!
Dec 1, 2022·edited Dec 1, 2022Liked by William H Bestermann Jr MD
Well, the good old 12-lead EKG, which has NEVER really worked as claimed, is 130+ years old. We are still clinging to it. And people still die prematurely from sudden cardiac deaths.
How can we expect Americans to trust their institutions when the institutions are not acting in their interest? Everything that we love about life depends on our health. We can and should do better.
Bill, I probably needn’t point out that this willful ignorance encompasses almost the entirety of our professional careers in medicine. Nothing more sadly illustrates the capture of medicine by capitalism, but there are lots of other examples. You can’t expect capitalism to solve a problem that capitalism creates in the first place, which in this instance includes the modern diet, the lack of exercise, and the magical reliance on technology to fix things that we break.
You make a good point. Capitalism works great if you are making televisions or automobiles. I would call what is happening to patients in America predatory capitalism. The evidence is crystal clear. We need to change what we are doing for chronic disease. Other capitalistic countries have managed to do that in places like Europe and Singapore.
It’s crony capitalism, unfair capitalism, corruption in government and corruption in private sections capitalism. The same in a socialist countries too. Can't blame the system of capitalism alone, it is the swampy corrupt souls that game the systems who destroy the country.
Well, the good old 12-lead EKG, which has NEVER really worked as claimed, is 130+ years old. We are still clinging to it. And people still die prematurely from sudden cardiac deaths.
The National Academy of Medicine called for extensive reengineering of our system 20 years ago. It is past time to act.
Well I started my journey to do my best in 1997, more than 25 years ago!
Yup. That's why I have NOT sent AMYONE to a coronary intervention since 1997! Enough!
How can we expect Americans to trust their institutions when the institutions are not acting in their interest? Everything that we love about life depends on our health. We can and should do better.
Bill, I probably needn’t point out that this willful ignorance encompasses almost the entirety of our professional careers in medicine. Nothing more sadly illustrates the capture of medicine by capitalism, but there are lots of other examples. You can’t expect capitalism to solve a problem that capitalism creates in the first place, which in this instance includes the modern diet, the lack of exercise, and the magical reliance on technology to fix things that we break.
You make a good point. Capitalism works great if you are making televisions or automobiles. I would call what is happening to patients in America predatory capitalism. The evidence is crystal clear. We need to change what we are doing for chronic disease. Other capitalistic countries have managed to do that in places like Europe and Singapore.
It’s crony capitalism, unfair capitalism, corruption in government and corruption in private sections capitalism. The same in a socialist countries too. Can't blame the system of capitalism alone, it is the swampy corrupt souls that game the systems who destroy the country.