When It Comes to Some Medical Treatment, Researchers Find Less Is More

Beyond its effects on the body, medical care can be a balm for the mind. Extensive treatment can feel like a promise that doctors have done everything possible. But that perceived security can come at a high price. As health costs soar, patients are emptying their pockets for care that may not make them healthier, research suggests. Last year, a 5,000-person trial showed that for patients with chronic but stable heart disease, surgical procedures such as stenting and bypass did not reduce the risk of heart attack or death more than lifestyle interventions and medication. Even patients with extensive damage did not, on average, experience fewer heart problems after surgery than those who simply took meds, ate well, exercised and didn’t smoke. The findings upended assumptions about cardiac care, says co-author Dr. Robert Harrington, a cardiologist and the chair of the department of medicine at Stanford University. Harrington says doctors have long assumed surgery is the way to go for patients with blocked arteries–but the new study adds nuance to that notion. “We can’t just trust our intuition. We need data,” Harrington says. “I actually think this is a good thing for medicine, to pause and think, Why do we do that?” Across the medical field, doctors are reconsidering the status quo. Many surgeries are medically necessary and even lifesaving–but increasingly, evidence suggests invasive care shouldn’t always be a physician&#...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Surgery Source Type: news