Ever Wonder If Doctors Practice What They Preach?

[tex]

Hi All,

To get the statistics about how doctors live, check out the info at the following link. If you're not already a member of Medscape, you have to register and log in to access the articles, but there's no charge, and the information is great. This is the website where doctors go to get information.

http://www.medscape.com/sites/public/li ... ac=95382HN

Here's a link to the report, in case you don't see it on that page:

http://www.medscape.com/features/slides ... c/overview

Note that we can also look at report statistics by individual specialties (by clicking on the specialties listed on the main page). Looking at the specialty reports, I notice that only about 2 % of gastroenterologists follow a GF diet, for example. That's roughly the same as physicians in general.

Tex

[DJ]

I read the report. I'm guessing they practice what they preach about as well as the rest of us do - Not all that well.

Are you familiar with the Harvard Health Professionals Study? It's an excellent longitudinal study of men's health.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hpfs/
The original study was the Nurses' Health Study, started in 1976
http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/
with additional cohorts following in later years. The nurses studies had very high retention so a physician study was added to capture men who understood the importance of staying with a longitudinal study.
Many of the major health findings we have seen over the years have come from these studies.

[tex]

I wasn't even aware of the men's study, but I was familiar with the nurses' health study.

Many of the major health findings we have seen over the years have come from these studies.

That's what bothers me. Those are very, very specialized cohorts, about as far from typical representatives of the general population as one can get, I would suspect.

Still, any data are much, much better than no data, I reckon.

Thanks,
Tex

[DJ]

Those are very, very specialized cohorts, about as far from typical representatives of the general population as one can get,

I agree on the downside that they don't represent the general population in social class or many other attributes. On the other hand, they are willing to answer very detailed questionnaires on many very personal topics several times over many decades, provide DNA samples, and very often sign a release for their medical records and family contact upon death. That's hard to find. So, as far as longitudinal studies go, I'm giving them "two thumbs up" for longitudinal "stick-to-it-tiveness".

[wmonique2]

I know they don't. A friend who is a cardiologist and a heart surgeon smokes like a chimney. He was diagnosed with cancer recently and he continues to smoke.

I know several who are obese. Don't exercise. Eat poorly. Don't sleep enough. The list goes on...

Monique