This principle is especially applicable in medicine and even more important in cardiovascular and related conditions. I have written in this space for a year about the vastly superior results achieved with optimal medical therapy (OMT) vs usual care—the care that most people receive. When a large health system boasts “We Are the Best Cardiac Care System in the Region”, they usually mean they do the best job of rescuing patients late in their disease in a crisis situation. That is the emphasis in our sickcare system. Patients receive catheterizations, stents, and bypasses, but very few of them receive OMT. If a patient is having a heart attack, a stent is lifesaving. If they are stable—if they have had chest pain with walking two blocks up a hill for six months— a stent does nothing to prevent a heart attack or sudden death. It is worthless. OMT is the best, most sophisticated treatment for artery disease. It prolongs healthy life at lower cost. When health systems brag they have the best cardiac care, that is like a communication company bragging they make the best landline rotary phones. The technologies date from the same era.
There is proof that we can dramatically improve health and lower costs in patients who already have heart artery disease. There is proof we can go upstream and prevent or slow down artery disease with highly precise lifestyle and medication treatments. We can interfere directly with the biology that creates the problem. There is proof we can extend healthy life. Why wouldn’t you demand that for your family or company?
Data should rule. There are a host of sales people making claims that their pill or their service improves health, makes your thinking clearer, or causes weight loss in the real world. If they are legitimate, they should be able to show you data that proves that. If they can’t or won’t, you are probably wasting your money. There are many ideas in medicine that make perfect sense. They just don’t work. Heart disease is a perfect example. Millions of stents have been placed and are still being placed in stable patients. Fifteen studies show they are totally worthless in keeping you from dying or having a heart attack. We have proof that certain interventions dramatically improve health and save money.
You can hardly watch television for an hour without seeing an ad for some supplement, neutraceutical, device, or weight loss aid and wild claims are made about this new breakthrough. Most of it is nonsense. Most of the people who were heavy last year are still heavy this year despite all this spending and effort. Billions are wasted every year. It is not enough that the product is an antioxidant. If the seller will not show you proof that it improves health and saves money compared with usual care in humans like you, you are wasting time and money. Worst of all, you are not receiving the benefit of proven treatments. Best practice care costs less. You would not think of buying a used car or house without an inspection. Your health is everything. Apply that same level of diligence there whether you are buying for your company or your family. What do you think?
Excellent advice
Acute heart attacks are absolutely preventable if early detection and early warning are available to ALL.