PERSONALIZED HEALTH DATA, TAILORED MEDICINE, AND THE END OF ILLNESS DR. DAVID AGUS, ONE OF STEVE JOBSS ONCOLOGISTS AND A MEDICAL RESEARCHER AT USC, ARGUES IN HIS NEW BOOK THE END OF ILLNESS THAT THE KEY TO A RADICAL REDUCTION IN ILLNESS IS TO SYSTEMATICALLY PREVENT THE UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLES THAT ALLOW DISEASES TO THRIVE, AND TO TAILOR MEDICAL TREATMENT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL. BY GREGORY FERENSTEIN ____________________________________________________ I really believe diseases are verbs, says Dr. David Agus, one of Steve Jobss oncologists and a medical researcher at the University of Southern California. Youre cancering. So I want to take you from a cancer state to a health state. In his new book, The End of Illness, Agus argues that the key to a radical reduction in illness is to prevent the unhealthy lifestyles that allow diseases to thrive. And while the saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure dates back to Benjamin Franklin, the idea is timeless--even if our current approach to medicine doesnt always reflect it. For example, he explains, skipping a flu shot and getting the flu has major implications for heart disease and cancer a decade from now. Everything from improper running shoes to an unnatural dose of vitamins from supplements can tip off a domino effect of complex reactions. The solutions, he argues, are cutting-edge proteomics technologies that allow researchers to customize medical treatments, a insurance system that penalizes unhealthy behavior, and eating and workout habits that are more akin to the active, whole-food lifestyles of ancient man. Viewing Health As A System Modern health care, Agus argues, has wrongly gone after diseases with laser-like precision. To Agus, proper prevention means getting the body to a place that limits the number of possible ways diseases can develop and thrive. Im a big believer in flu vaccines, he writes, citing a 2006 recommendation from the American Heart Association. If not to prevent the flu, then to at least prevent marked increases of inflammation that can come back to haunt us later in life. Agus notes that many people unwittingly coexist peacefully with mild forms of cancer. His focus is less about destroying cancer cells and more about preventing those who die from cancer. The philosophy also extends to nutrition and diet. For instance, we combat weight loss by driving to the gym to walk on a treadmill--and then return to hunch over laptops for hours on end. Sitting at your desk is akin to smoking a cigarette, he says. Prolonged sitting, independent of physical exercise, he writes, has been shown to have significant metabolic consequences, influencing everything from cholesterol levels to blood sugar. As a result, Agus purchased a mobile headset that allows him to talk on the phone while walking around the office. More sophisticated technologies like the Jawbone Up, a smartphone-enabled wristband, monitor activity throughout the day and remind idle users to periodically move about. The End of Illness is, in part, intended to dispel the common myths that Agus believes are pervasive even among well-informed individuals. He attacks vitamin-crammed supplements, health shakes, and a lack of critical-thinking activities with an entertaining mix of history and contemporary research, ultimately advocating for a lifestyle that is more akin to ancient man: locally sourced or flash-frozen whole foods, constant activity, and prolonged reading and writing, especially during the golden years. To motivate such behavior, insurance companies should vary prices and subsidies in accordance with healthy behavior--while punishing unhealthy behavior, he says. Why should people who get the flu shot subsidize people who dont? Tailored Medicine We treat everyone the same in this country, says Agus. The goal is to figure out who should get what. Since all medical research is based on the probability of a treatment working, patients are treated like lab rats with various medicines and treatments until (fingers crossed) something works. With an advanced understanding of a patients genetic makeup, doctors can know whether you are likely to experience severe side effects with a particular drug, and in other cases whether the drug is likely to be effective for you, he writes. [fastcompany/1806801/personalized-health-data-tailored-medicine-and-end-illness]
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 09:18:27 +0000
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