Monday, December 31, 2018

2018 In Review

Traditionally, I use the last post of the year to review Bill’s Blog. I posted 143 blogs this past year bringing my total to 835 since fall of 2013. I’ve also started doing an occasional podcast with Kristen Bomas. There are currently only two that you can view on You tube – one on breast cancer and the other on medical marijuana.

The most common topic last year was various health conditions. This accounts for 20% of my blogs. I wrote about advances in MS, Parkinson’s disease and frequently about various aspect of metabolic syndrome. Much of the information was on environmental factors associated with these chronic diseases. Low grade viral infections and pervasive pesticides have both been implicated in a third of all autoimmune disease.

Tied for second at 17% were three topics – health care standards, supplementation and diet. The last two subjects have been popular topics of my blog since conception in 2013. Medical standards of care didn’t even make the top 10 last year. There is a dichotomy developing in health care. A large percentage of physicians stick by old standards of care that have been dropped and refuse to adopt the new evidence based research standards. The ongoing recommendation of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events is a prime example. Ongoing resistance against testing A1c to diagnosis diabetes is another.

In fifth place at 13% were blogs about various drugs. Recent research reveals less than 12% of Americans are considered healthy. By definition, that means free from all aspects of metabolic syndrome without taking any prescription drugs. The average U.S. adult takes four prescription drugs daily, one less than the definition of polypharmacy (taking 5 or more medications daily). To manage polypharmacy, a physician needs specialized training in drug interactions that few physicians have.

Environment was sixth accounting of 8% of last year’s blogs. Mounting pollution, global warming and easing of environmental protections in the United States were frequent topics. Here in South Florida the rising sea level during periods of high tides and the obvious death of our coral reefs are daily reminders for me as a member of the boating community.

Exercise came in seventh with only 2% of my blogs. Part of the reason I conduct this review is to make improvements the following year. In 2014, I increased my blog from one to three times a week. The next year, I added Wisdom Wednesday to focus aspects of daily practice. Two years ago, I shifted my emphasis toward more positive aspects of health as I felt I too often reported on negative aspects of health care. Next year, I promise to write more blogs about exercise.

Bottom Line:
I hope you enjoy reading my blogs as much as I enjoy writing them. My techie, Jarrod tells me that blogs are passé – podcasts are the new thing. We’ll see how that develops. If you would to watch any of my podcasts, Kristen has invited me to be a returning guest on “Thursday at 12:45” every six weeks. Just go to “You Tube” and type in Kristen Bomas to view. Regardless, I will continue to write my blog as it keeps me abreast of the current research.

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