Minimise your health risks

Everyone is at risk for developing health problems at anytime. Consequently, the practice of medicine involves extensive risk management. For patients who find it difficult to grasp the concept of 'risk', I explain that low risk is like standing on the sidewalk of a quiet street and high risk is like running blindly across a very busy highway. It is unlikely that a vehicle will run you over while you are on the sidewalk, but it can. And, dashing across the street is simply begging for it.

Some patients are significantly overweight, sedentary and rarely adhere to their required diet and/or mediations for dangerous chronic diseases (such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol), yet they live well into their 80s. Conversely, some patients are slim, trim, active, boast excellent health profiles yet, surprisingly, they suffer massive cardiovascular catastrophes at a relatively young age. The individuals cited above represent the exceptions to the rule - most of us can alter the course of our health and, therefore, the quality of our lives.

Many people with conditions that put them in the high risk category require lifestyle changes and prescribed medication(s). Unfortunately, some see medications as unnatural and potentially harmful, and avoid taking them. Furthermore, because conditions like hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol do not cause pain, discomfort or discernible skin changes, patients underestimate them. By the time chronic diseases manifest themselves, they have already caused organ damage, and we can only slow the downward spiral.

Strangely, many patients will resist or refuse prescribed, life-saving medications but readily swallow handfuls of pills, capsules or caplets containing so-called 'natural' products, several times each day, in the mistaken belief that they will treat or cure their conditions. Some drink various concoctions in the hope that those natural chemicals are good for them. However, anything that is purported to do something for you must first do something to you. And, information is extremely sketchy or lacking regarding side effects and dosing guidelines.

Purveyors of unregulated, so-called health products can get away with a myriad of falsehoods, because they are only answerable to their accountants. They do not conduct clinical trials comparing their products to placebos (inactive substances made to look like the real thing) and to proven medicines. They only advertise their products with hyperbole and anecdotes (stories) from a few individuals, some with questionable veracity, who may be improving only because of the placebo effect - an improvement attributable to a strong expectation of improvement. These storytellers are not subjected to any strict experimental conditions, therefore, other factors may be aiding in their alleged progress.

Unproven alternatives

The extremely lucrative so-called 'health product' industry has brought several self-styled 'practitioners' out of the woodwork. They advocate unproven alternatives (commensurate with placebo treatments) and malign well-researched and heavily regulated medications.

To date, no one and nothing can cure any form of diabetes. To date, cholesterol-lowering drugs are the best way to slow the build up of plaque within blood vessels, reduce plaque (in very high doses) and stabilise plaques so that they do not easily crack or rupture and cause a potentially deadly cascade of events that produce clots that can obstruct blood flow to parts of vital organs, like the heart or brain.

Rational people do not run blindly across busy highways ... so they should not abandon their cholesterol-lowering drugs and/or glucose-lowering drugs because they may cause problems in a few individuals. Placebo-like alternatives expose patients to conditions that will cause significant risk to their health. Since we cannot choose our parents, our best chance for good health is to use tried and proven scientific methods to minimise our health risks.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice who may be reached at garthrattray@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com .