A strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 80%

This paper is further evidence of the crisis in medicine1.

The power of medicine – in a healing sense – lies in the doctor-
patient relationship. Non-medical practitioners, in particular policy
makers and bureaucrats as well as some public health specialists and
epidemiologists have a psychological envy of the primacy and privacy of
this unique relationship. Knowing little about clinical decision-making
these groups attack clinicians on the grounds of lack of evidence2.

Wald and Law may not believe in the concepts of patient-centred care,
let them be assured, patients are not interested in eternity, rather they
are interested in quality of life and a “quick end” when their time is up
– and many frankly state that “a heart attack in my sleep will just be
fine”.

Most patients for whom Wald and Law suggest the polypill are mature
enough to accept that “life is a deadly enterprise”. Their greatest fear
is being caught up in the modern game called MORBIDITY & MORTALITY
SUBSTITUTION, where heroic institutionalised interventions cause lots of
suffering for all involved, and “good old care” is long forgotten.

This is not the way forward for a brave new world!

[1] Sturmberg JP. Preparing Doctors For The “Post-Science” Medical
Era – Focusing Back On The Patient. Asia Pacific Family Medicine 2002;1(2-
3): 63-66

[2] Ellyard P. Ideas for the New Millenium. 2nd ed. Melbourne:
Melbourne University Press, 2001.

Competing interests:  
None declared