A teacher and mentor of mine once confided, “I want you to know that half of what I teach you is wrong. Unfortunately, I don’t know which half.”
We often write about the incomplete nature of medical science. New findings and recommendations about the use of aspirin to prevent heart disease reveal how difficult navigating such incomplete science is.
The authors of the study quote an expert who states, “Our findings show a tremendous need for health care practitioners to ask their patients about ongoing aspirin use and to advise them about the importance of balancing the benefits and harms, especially among older adults and those with prior peptic ulcer disease,”
The expert is referring to those same healthcare practitioners who just recently routinely recommended using aspirin to prevent heart disease.
What is missing from all of these recommendations is a healthy recognition of the unknowns in medical science. A deep understanding and consideration of those unknowns is critical to making a medical decision that matches your own goals and values.
We can help you to navigate the unknowns by educating you on particular topics and coaching you on how to use your knowledge to better collaborate with your doctors.
Email us at ajc@www.operamhealthcare.com, or cal 203-692-4422 for a free introductory consultation.
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