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agate Site Admin
Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 5694 Location: Oregon
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 10:22 am Post subject: Periodic health checkups of no value? |
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From Physician's Health Watch, November 20, 2012:
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Periodic Health Exams in General Population Don't Reduce Mortality Risk
General wellness checks to identify disease risk factors and symptoms in healthy people appear to have no effect on mortality, according to a Cochrane meta-analysis in BMJ.
Researchers analyzed the results of 14 randomized trials comprising some 180,000 adults (geriatric trials were excluded). Patients were randomized either to health checks conducted in a primary care or community setting or to no health checks. The exams were not associated with a reduction in all-cause, cardiovascular, or cancer-related mortality.
An editorialist concludes: "The history of health promotion through routine health checks has been one of glorious failure, but generations of well meaning clinicians and public health physicians struggle to allow themselves to believe it. We need to reinforce the message lest some enthusiast reinvent the health check in another guise."
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Matt
Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 961
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I just found out that I am prediabetic, and three of the hernias that I never saw a doctor about should probably be fixed. So, I am not totally convinced of this. But, maybe I am a statistical outlier. |
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agate Site Admin
Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 5694 Location: Oregon
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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They're probably looking around frantically for ways of cutting costs. I think it's probably often a good idea to have an annual physical, particularly for anyone with a chronic health problem. |
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Matt
Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 961
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Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:22 am Post subject: |
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I guess I don't know what a "general wellness check is". I thought it had to be the same thing as a hernia. |
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