ppp 10-27-08

Quote of the day: A positive attitude may not solve all your problems,

but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

John Lennon got into a lot of hot water back in 1971 over the song Imagine. “Imagine there’s no country… it isn’t hard to do.” He was chastised and upbraided because he asked people to imagine what life would be like if long held beliefs, not realities, were obliterated. If you get mad over this piece remember it was YOUR imagination.

A commentary in the St. Paul Pioneer Press (known for its liberal bias) on Sunday was entitled “Dubious about a government bailout? Consider your fertility” Mark Gilbert, the author, discussed the Italian economy slump of the 1990’s when pensions were drastically cut. He, and others, were amazed that the birth rate went up. Instead of children being a “consumption good” they were seen as “an investment good”. Time will tell if Americans have this same communal reaction.

I will tread some of the same ground as Lennon now and challenge you to further imagine. Imagine your home being purchased (assuming you were trying to sell in this market) by one of the 50 million babies aborted since 1973. Imagine the effect on the other aspects of your life. Imagine a shorter wait for a burger because there are more members of the workforce. (Imagine not “needing” illegal immigrants but welcoming them legally to the land of opportunity). Imagine more families needing goods and services (like prescription drugs for instance). Imagine more children who would now be adult taxpayers and helping to support you as you reach social security age. (Obviously some Italians imagined up some more souls.)

Imagine that in 10 days all of the negative campaigning will end. The networks will all begin to feel the effects of the economic turmoil as their political source of revenue dry up… literally overnight. With one week and a day to go until the election I remain cautiously optimistic that Americans will make the right choice... the choice for their own enlightened self interest… the choice for life.

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Not too bad considering the shape I'm in"

Antibiotics for a viral illness are considered to be placebos by the author. So is the use of many vitamins and pain killers. The AMA calls the use of placebos “unethical” without fully informing the patient that they are being prescribed useless therapy. The “placebo effect” has been associated with a person’s belief that they would get better on the “drug”. Full disclosure seems counterproductive. The overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistant organisms… water soluble vitamins might just be a better choice.

Tainted heparin and Chantix reports lead the way in the increase of adverse drug reactions reported to the FDA. Some of the increases may be due to intense media coverage. All health professionals are supposed to report all adverse drug reactions, regardless as to whether the reaction is new or previously reported. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102201396.html

The use of nicotine reduced still births in women who quit smoking while pregnant but used nicotine replacement therapy. Women who kept smoking had more miscarriages whether or not they supplemented with NRT but those who continued to smoke without NRT did the worst.

Elderly patients who swallow pill cameras for bowel examination have as much success as their younger counterparts. Sorry, but the bowel prep is just as rigorous as for a “regular” proctoscopic exam.

6) Patients cutting back on prescription drug purchases in these tough times.

Not just speculation based upon case reports but is based upon an IMS report for the first 8 months of the year.

Cialis and Viagra sales continue to rise in spite of a down stock market. I guess $10 a pill is still cheaper than flowers, dinner and a movie for two. http://www.cnbc.com/id/27337933 (I imagine if it could be related to the editorial and the potential for an economy driven mini-baby boom?)

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