January 4, 2017
Interview with Dr. Richard Besser, author of the book Tell Me The Truth Doctor
Mike Carruthers:
Is it a good idea for people to take a daily aspirin to help prevent heart disease?
Dr. Richard Besser:
I read the data and my risk of having a bleeding ulcer from an aspirin is higher than my risk of having a heart attack because I don’t have risk factors – so I don’t think I should take an aspirin.
Dr. Richard Besser Chief Health and Medical Editor for ABC News and author of the book Tell Me The Truth Doctor…
So I went back and I reviewed the evidence and he was dead wrong. The choices we make depend on our risk factors and what we know about our families; our family history and so there is no one size fits all.
Another common belief is that everyone should get an annual physical exam. Should they?
No. I’m not going to convince many people that they don’t need an annual physical. It’s something that surveys show that people want and doctors want. I’m hoping though that I can refrain that visit.
Because staying healthy is not about the examine itself but the conversation you have with the doctor.
The idea that you’re going to go into your doctor’s office and they’re going to find something that you were absolutely clueless was brewing. That is the rare, rare, rare exception. They will find out a lot more by having that conversation with you – by exploring your family history. What you’re eating, how you’re using your body, are you moving? Those are the things that in the long run will have an impact on your health.
