On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from birth to age 75 and that even advantaged Americans — those...
Category: Editorials
Literary Convention and the Slaughter of Innocent Children
As we try to absorb the tragic events at the school shooting in New Town, Connecticut, various sages have come out of the background to tell us what it all means, and what we can do about it. Gun control advocates – long ignored by our political leaders – have told us, reasonably enough, that...
Men and Suicide: Much More Than a Mental-Health Issue
Anyone who’s ever looked at suicide statistics knows that men are 3-4 times more likely to kill themselves than women are (women, however, attempt suicide more). But what a lot of people don’t realize is that men in lower socio-economic groups—especially men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s—are significantly more likely to commit suicide than...Continue reading
Parental Divorce Linked to Stroke in Males
Men with divorced parents are significantly more likely to suffer a stroke than men from intact families, shows a new study from the University of Toronto. The study, to be published this month in the International Journal of Stroke, shows that adult men who had experienced parental divorce before they turned 18 are three times...Continue reading
The end of men in math and science? Could be coming to a college near you.
The Obama Administration just announced their intention to take steps to increase the number of women in college science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors. As the dad of three very smart daughter, I’m all for that. Their stated goal is to expand the use of Title IX, the 1972 law that was designed to...Continue reading
The Business Case for Paying Attention to Men’s Health
Most people know that men live shorter (by five years), less-healthy lives than women. They’re more likely to be the victim of a violent crime, die in a car crash, commit suicide, and be injured at work. Men also have higher death rates from nine of the top ten killers, are more likely to be...Continue reading
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: Men Not Smart Enough To Make Own Healthcare Decisions
In what may go down as one of the most controversial—and most damaging—pieces of healthcare policy in decades, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force just issued a recommendation that men should no longer get routine screenings for prostate cancer. They believe that the test—called PSA, for the prostate-specific antigen it measures—does more harm than good....Continue reading
The stress of caring for a wife with breast cancer takes a heavy toll on men’s health
Men who care for a wife with breast cancer have weaker immune systems, and more physical symptoms, such as headaches and abdominal pain, than did men whose wives had remained disease-free. And the higher the stress levels, the worse the effect on men, according to a new study done at Ohio State University.
For the skeptics: The research on dads’ influence on girls’ puberty
Several people took issue (some in an unfortunately hostile way) with my post that mentioned research showing that girls with involved biological fathers start puberty later than those with a non-biological father or no father at all. So to satisfy the critics, here are several citations that should satisfy your inner (and not-so-inner) skeptic.
IPAB on the way out?
The Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB, may be on the way out. Patient groups are celebrating the potential demise of the Board, established by the Affordable Care Act. IPAB was created to make decisions about payments for medical treatments, deciding what will be paid for and what will not. This might be acceptable...Continue reading