The United States spends billions on healthcare every year, yet we still have poorer health outcomes than other developed countries. A new study in JAMA found that two-thirds of healthcare spending is on people over 65 with chronic conditions, and drug costs and medical devices are creating the increases.
Even so, the amount of money consumers are spending on healthcare is only about 11 percent, according to study author Hamilton Moses III, MD, a professor at Johns Hopkins.
Doctors weren’t surprised that people with chronic conditions were a big chunk of the spending, especially now that younger people are getting diseases that typically didn’t present until much later in life. A person diagnosed with diabetes in their 20s is much more likely to have other complications such as heart disease, high blood pressure and more as they get older.
Most chronic diseases are preventable, said Moses, so reducing the risk for conditions like diabetes and obesity should be a priority going forward. Unfortunately, the healthcare system is set up financially to treat sick patients rather than prevent illness.
Tungsten, Found in Cell Phones, Linked to Higher Stroke Risk
Tungsten, a heavy metal found in cell phones, computers and other electronics, has been linked to doubling the risk of stroke, according to a new paper published in PLOS One.
Researchers looked at 8,614 people over 12 years and found higher levels of tungsten in the urine of people with lower incomes and less education. But researchers don’t know why certain people have more levels of tungsten in the body.
“An important step in understanding and preventing the risks it may pose to health will be to get to the bottom of how it’s ending up in our bodies,” said study author Dr. Jessica Tyrell, from the University of Exeter Medical School, in the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, in the UK.
Tungsten can be ingested in food or water or by soil contamination or by breathing it in the air. Discarded electronics incinerated at landfills may play a role in tungsten exposure.
Are Vitamins Actually Beneficial?
Though we’ve all heard about the benefits of multi-vitamins and supplements, new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force say it’s unclear if they help your health.
"In general, the Task Force found that there is not enough evidence to determine whether you can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer by taking single or paired nutrients, or a multivitamin," said Task Force Co-Chair Dr. Michael LeFevre in a news release. "However, there were two major exceptions: beta carotene and vitamin E, both of which clearly do not help prevent these diseases."
Vitamin E supplements were found to have no disease-fighting benefits at all, and beta carotene has been shown to potentially increase the risk of lung cancer for those already at a higher risk.
Cursing Might Relieve Pain
Could cursing actually be good for you?
Swearing could potentially kick-start the body’s flight-or-fight response, which releases adrenaline and helps people ignore pain, according to Richard Stephens, PhD, a psychologist at Keele University in Staffordshire, England.
"People swear when they're in pain to give themselves an emotional jolt," Dr. Stephens said. "We think when people swear when they are in pain, they are tapping into the phenomenon of stress-induced analgesia."
Erinn Connor is a staff writer for Health Matters With Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Last Updated: 11/13/2013