We'll be the first generation with worse health than our parents
About.com's Kelly Montgomery reports Baby Boomers Enter Retirement Less Healthy Than Their Parents. She writes:
The Washington Post reports that as they reach their golden years baby boomers may be the first generation which is less healthy than their predecessors. While they often have healthier habits than prior generations, more baby boomers report having chronic illnesses like diabetes or hypertension.
So let's see. The money we're investing in the markets for our retirement will now be spent increasingly attending to our health care needs. And as we retire we'll invest no money in the markets but pull even more out for not only our retirement years but our health care needs.
Did you say sharp drop in the markets in 3-4 years as this trend makes itself known in ever growing numbers?
Hypertension,When to Treat?
The 18 year Framingham Blood Pressure study found increased risk of heart disease and death in people with increased blood pressure 140 to 160, and even more risk above 160.
If you examine the original data from the Framingham study, you will find computer smoothing of the data as published in the medical journals. This gives a smooth gradual line of increasing mortality as blood pressure goes up between 140 and 160. This is called the Linear Model. However, if you examine the raw data, as S. Port did as published in Lancet 1/15/2000, you will find a non-linear threshold of increased risk above 160 systolic, and no increased mortality below 160.
For a more complete review of this controversy in Blood Pressure guidelines, see my newsletter
Blood Pressure Pills for Hypertension, When to Treat? by Jeffrey Dach MD
Jeffrey Dach MD
Posted by: Jeffrey Dach MD | July 23, 2007 at 06:20 PM