if someone asked, as i did, "what is the state of the research on the causes of heart disease" i would speak to that. like I'd talk about the bogosity of claims about lowering cholesterol levels by eating less cholesterol, or about the various ups and downs of cholesterol inhibiting drugs and their side effects. i might speak more to the things with which I'm familiar and point people at whatever resources i've come to trust. i'd assume that people with medical conditions who belong to this list are inclined to be very well read on the topic because well-read and inquisitive otherwise, unlikely to be passive consumers of health and medical advice, etc.
the fun thing is, reading this book, I've learned that all my efforts at staying on top of things are pretty much for naught since, it's quite likely that I only have about 50% of the data available with which to make a judgement about the treatment drugs. and am probably seeing only the very best results that put the drug in the very best light. i suspect that, were i confronted with the need to take a drug for this condition under these circumstances, i'd fucking flip a coin since the data available are so skewed as to be worthless.
It isn't the first time I've been through this, though. Over the years, the causes of heart disease have shifted from one bogey to the next, and the remedies -- low fat! super low fat! no cholesterol! oat bran! canola oil! etc. -- have turned out to be bogosities one and all -- and sometimes, for me, actually potentially fatal, as was the case with an aunt. the super low fat treatment regimen ended up causing her to get worse. they now know why that happened, but it was an article of faith back then to treat the heart condition we have with super low fat diets. today we know that it contributed to her death.
there are some other examples in the book like that too. e.g., the rise in breast cancer in the u.s. due to hormone therapies prescribed to women. thalidamide. the list of drugs approved that have killed people in the millions is pretty long.
shag