We expect our pricey prescription pills to be as reliable as our toasters—that they will work every time. But when it comes to medications, the success rate is much lower. Just how effective are medications for lowering cholesterol or treating osteoporosis?
Screening programs like mammograms for breast cancer or PSA for prostate cancer are considered the foundation of the fight against cancer. But how well do they work, and are there any downsides?
Guest: Nortin Hadler, MD, is Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is attending rheumatologist at UNC Hospitals. His books include The Last Well Person: How to Stay Well Despite the Health Care System and Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America.
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The People's Perspective on Medicine