It’s time to bypass the bypass

I have a down-to-earth solution to the health care crisis in the United States.

In two words, it’s broccoli and sneakers.

Maybe I’d better explain or better yet, let Deepak Chopra, Dean Ornish, Rustum Roy and Andrew Weil explain it for me. These four champions of holistic lifestyles recently nailed their views to the cathedral door in a Wall Street Journal article claiming that so-called alternative, holistic medicine was now mainstream and it was the drug-reliant, surgery-happy establishment medicine that is questionable today.

OK, they were more diplomatic — and they really are in favor of integrating mainstream medicine that works with alternative modes that work — such as meditation and herbs. But they and other experts are making a strong case for preventing illness in the first place through lifestyle changes, such as a good diet — that’s the broccoli — and exercise — those are the sneakers.

Still, people have trouble believing that such simple, affordable things can keep them out of the hospital and out of medical trouble, but it’s true. As the four experts say:

“The evidence is mounting that diet and lifestyle are the best cures for our worst afflictions.” And one of their goals is to move the U.S. medical system from disease care to real health care and disease prevention. It’s cheaper, safer and it works. What else could we ask for?

The high cost of staying stuck where we are

So why are Americans coughing up almost $100,000 for each coronary bypass procedure to the combined tune of 44 billion dollars a year? And why do we pay close to $50,000 for each angioplasty to the combined cost of 60 billion a year?

Because we don’t believe simple prevention works? Because lifestyle change takes a little thought? It is, after all, easier to open a package of chips than to steam veggies — easier to push buttons on the remote than to push oneself to walk.

Me, I don’t know all the blocks to health behaviors that work, but thanks to recent studies, I do know what mostly doesn’t work, at least when it comes to heart health.

(Prepare to be surprised.)

What doesn’t work are expensive, invasive operations on the cardio system. Here are the facts as published in the New England Journal of Medicine and summarized by the four health professionals in their Journal article: Angioplasties and stents “do not prolong life or even prevent heart attacks in stable patients (i.e., the 95% of people who receive them). Coronary bypass surgery prolongs life in less than 3% of patients who receive it.”’

Wow. We don’t get what we are paying for. Wow, simple stuff really works.

So I think it’s time to stop the stupid behavior, especially mine own. For me now, it’s a half hour a day of exercise of any kind and 5 to 9 servings of fruit and veggies, no matter how many faces Cranky Pants makes about plants on his plate. (Tip: If you have juice for breakfast and heap your cereal with a cup of fruit — think berries and bananas — you have 3 servings in the bag before lunch.)

What to expect from Barack

You already know. Barack exercises most mornings and reportedly eats salmon, broccoli and brown rice for dinner. The prez is tuned in.

Me, I expect future programs where health is rewarded and incentives put in place to behave ourselves health-wise. And, looking at the future high costs of Medicare and the fact the Feds are broke, I ask myself what will happen if taxpayers begin to wonder why they should subsidize older people with bad dog lifestyles who are running up high medical expense through Medicare. Our kids may grab the cookies out of our very hands so they don’t have to subsidize our heart surgeries.

Bottom line, isn’t it time to bypass the bypass?

As I said, broccoli and sneakers.

Mel Walsh is a gerontologist, author and spokesperson. Her book of advice for older women, Hot Granny, is available at The Book Seller in Grass Valley, and yes, she is working on another book for older women. Visit Mel at www.melwalsh.com.