Light and moderate drinkers scored better than either teetotalers or heavy drinkers: body-mass index (a measure of appropriate weight), cholesterol and sugar levels, cardiovascular disease, heart rate, stress, depression scores, and more.
But the same groups also scored significantly better across a separate range of criteria that had nothing to do with drinking, such as level of physical activity and particularly socio-economic status.
Ranking drugs by harmfulness (9 = most harmful)
Fattest state: Mississippi; Leanest state: Colorado.
A tiny silicone chip can analyze blood and diagnose dozens of diseases: Uses an amount of blood that could be collected with a prick of a finger instead of a syringe.
Consumption of alcohol in almost any quantity is associated with a nearly one-third reduction in the incidence of coronary heart disease in men: No effects for women, however.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises women not to deliver before 39 weeks but many women still choose to give birth between 37 and 39 weeks: Nonmedical reasons range from convenience to simply wishing not to be pregnant any longer.
Alcohol found in the blood of one in five New York City bicyclists involved in fatal accidents. Only 3% were wearing helmets.
More than 30% of multivitamins differ significantly from the label. One provided only 50 percent of its claimed folic acid and the other was missing 30 percent of its calcium.
Food police to church bazaar: Selling homemade pies is illegal. Local paper calls it “piegate.”
This is from an article in the New York Times:
Result we like: “For people over 55, an alcoholic drink a day reduces the risk of death by 28 percent, compared with not drinking. But there was no advantage in drinking one drink or less a week.”
Result we don’t like: “Those who had more than three drinks a day increased their risk by 11 percent.”
The Texas Association of Health Plans newsletter reports that:
…It is widely known that the three leading causes of death in the country are heart disease, cancer and stroke. However, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the "actual" causes of death to be lifestyle-related. It reports that three leading actual causes of death to be (1) poor diet/lack of exercise; (2) tobacco use; and (3) alcohol abuse.
It also quotes Dr. Christine Cassell, president of the American Board of Internal Medicine, as observing that "There is a stark correlation between reduced utilization and better outcomes."
So, stop smoking, stop drinking, eat tofu, avoid medical care and….maybe…. just maybe….we'll lower your premiums.