Consulo Indicium - 1/22/24
Information for your Consideration…
Good News – It Takes Less Effort, So…Go For It! – In a new study from Washington University School of Medicine, lead author Cyrus A. Raji, MD, PhD reported in the December 7, 2023 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that only “moderate” levels of physical activity – such as 4,000 steps a day or even less – have a positive effect on brain health. So, while the 10,000 steps-a-day regime is excellent, you can still get a substantial benefit even with fewer steps. 4,000 steps are like walking 5 – 6 blocks. Now…isn’t that simple. So don’t just consider it. Do it!! I’m spoiled; however. My two dogs – Toto and Lole – expect it! So, I have to do it…
A Sad Commentary – A recent report in The New York Times noted that for the last year (2022-2023), Congress only passed 27 bills – yes, 27 bills out of more than 700 that were in the queue for consideration. Now one observation for those who don’t like government might be – “Thank goodness”. But, for me and mine, it means that Congress “Sure didn’t do very much”. In fact, it is the least productive Congress in more than 90 years. The 2020-2021 (117th Congress) legislative session passed 365 bills during its 2 years of work; and, to put it in perspective, the 2018-2019 (116th Congress) passed 344; and the 2016-2017 (115th Congress) passed 443 bills. So, calling it the “Do Nothing” Congress is not an exaggeration…
And A Lesson From Abroad To Prevent Sad Commentary – It seems that the USA is not the only nation dealing with the presence of “social media” as a major force in politics. Richard Correa in Estadao [NOTE: Forgive me if I got the wrong citation. My Portuguese is not so good] recently noted that it has turned politics into an ugly mud fight down in Brazil. Evidently, candidates are appealing the fringes on both the left and right social media users for support because that’s where the partisan trolls hang out. Does it sound increasingly familiar? He reported, “Your political survival depends on how you react to every fact…” so that even good conversations with colleagues from the other side of the aisle are scrutinized. He concluded that in Brazil soon the country will be “incapable of holding a rational debate.” This sounds so familiar to the recent hearings in Congress where one Member challenged a person giving testimony to a wrestling match right there in the room. Whew…We’ve all got to get a grip!!
Better Hearing = Reduced Risk of Death – Well, finally there is some good news about getting older. In a new study released by The Lancet Healthy Longevity study, it was noted that “wearing hearing aids if you need them may help protect you from early death…there was no difference in risk of death over the research period between people who used hearing aids occasionally and those who never wore them, but regular users were at a significant lower risk.” “It’s one of the few benefits of getting older.” said the author of The Fickenscher Blog.
Healthcare Employment A Major Contributor To USA Job Growth – The amount of growth occurring in the healthcare sector is really significant. In fact, 24% of all new jobs in 2023 in the USA were derived from healthcare with an average monthly job growth of 54,000 jobs. The total of 653,000 new jobs (2023) compared to 557,000 the prior year (2022) represents a 17% increase. Furthermore, half of the growth was in the ambulatory care sector. However, the unemployment rate held steady at 3.7% during the latter part of the year. The second largest growth areas were in government (52,000) and the hospitality industry (40,000).
Increased Private Equity Results In Lower Safety Performance – The alarm bells went off at a higher frequency when I heard the news about private equity where JAMA recently reported that hospitals saw a significant increase in central-line intravenous infections (an increase of 38%) and patient falls (an increase of 27%) after purchase by private equity firms. There was also an increase in infections in other areas as well (e.g. surgical sites). The research was completed by faculty from the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School after comparing the Medicare Part A claims data for 51 equity-acquired hospitals compared to 259 non-equity-owned, matched controls. The culprit? According to the article, it would appear that staffing reductions that occurred following equity acquisition were the major factor. For further information on this alarming study, check here.
Sad Statistic #1: The United Nations recently reported that almost one-half of humanity live in nations where more is spent on servicing debt than on either health or education. It affects 3.3 billion people.
Sad Statistic #2: The World Health Organization reported that over 4.5 million women and babies die every year during pregnancy, childbirth or the first couple of weeks following birth primarily related to preventable and/or treatable problems if the right care was provided. This death rate is the equivalent 1 death every 7 seconds to put it in stark terms.
Ignoring A Good Thing – Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir For Treating COVID-19: In a recent study from the NIH, it was noted that “only about 15%” of eligible individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 took medication that has been shown to make a marked difference in outcomes – and, that’s Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (= Paxlovid)!! BTW, I learned about the issue in New York Times. The reluctance is on both the provider (doctor) side as well as the consumer side for different reasons. Physicians have been worried about drug-drug interactions and patients about side effects like the metallic aftertaste that can evolve for some individuals. While I’m only a case of 1 – it made a huge difference for me. Within 36 hours, my COVID+ symptoms had essentially disappeared, and I was back at it (and, behind 😊) in my work. Check out the research findings here. We still have a problem with nearly 1,500 USA citizens dying each week from COVID-19. Spread the word…
And, If You Survive COVID-19 – Start A Daily Multivitamin – For those of us in the over 60 crowd (there are a few of us 😊), a new study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that a “One-A-Day” (there are other brands as well…) multivitamin slows memory loss by nearly two years. That’s significant! Furthermore, the research reported in the journal is not the only one touting the benefits of a daily multi-vitamin. So, do as I do – and take one every morning. That way you’ll be able to continuing reading – and, understanding – The Fickenscher Files!! I’ll report back if I find that the results are not working very well…
