Another Impressive Thing About Japan 

A study was just published that answered a question I was about to research as a follow-up to my series on Japanese culture. The question: “Why does it seem that Japanese people are healthier than Americans… and why have I heard that they live longer than we do?”

The researchers collected data on the world’s most developed countries: Germany, the US, the UK, Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, and Japan. And guess what they discovered?

The US spends, by far, the most (at $12,800 per capita) for health products and services. Yet the life expectancy for Americans, at 77.5 years, is the lowest in the world.

And what about Japan, my new favorite foreign country?

Japan, at $5.3K, has the lowest per-capita spending on health. And, with an average of 84.1 years, the longest life expectancy of all the countries studied!

This would have surprised me six months ago. Not now.

Big Change in AHA Statin Recommendations 

I’ve written about statins several times in the past few years – the cholesterol-lowering drugs that, contrary to popular belief (even among many doctors), do not seem to give those that take them the benefit they want. They don’t extend life expectancy. And though they may reduce the likelihood of spending several years of your life incapacitated by a stroke, that is not even certain.

In any case, according to a press release GM sent me, new American Heart Association guidelines could reduce the number of adults eligible for statin therapy from 45.4 million to 28.3 million, potentially improving public health by decreasing unnecessary statin use.

Click here.

Less Fat, More Prescriptions, and Much More Money for Big Pharma

It seems that every formerly fat person I know is slimming down – significantly – by taking Ozempic or one of its cousins. After decades of failed weight-loss nutrients, medications, diets, and exercise programs, the new drugs do seem miraculous.

But it’s not just weight loss. It’s the other health benefits of going from obesity to an average weight. One of my boys, who had long suffered from abnormally high blood pressure, has seen his counts come down to the normal range. And one of my nephews saw all his markers that were pointing to adult-onset diabetes drop into the healthy range.

Here’s another benefit: Using these drugs to lose weight is also, apparently, a fantastic way to cure sleep apnea. Click here.