8.4 Problems: OverTreatment: Heart Caths, Alzheimer's Drugs, Ozempic

Renegade Psych

Here, we talk about several examples of over-treatment in our healthcare system. First, Taylor leads the discussion about how heart catheterizations are not necessarily good for everyone with a known blockage in one of their coronary arteries, and provides nuance about STABLE vs UNSTABLE PLAQUES, along with some of the dangers of disrupting unstable plaques. Then, we launch into a discussion on the new Alzheimer's monoclonal antibodies, Aducanumab and its successor, Lecanamab, that target beta-amyloid plaque removal. This was the leading theory of the cause of Alzheimer's that is being strongly called into question based on the lack of efficacy of these drugs, as well as more recent dire revelations on manipulated, photoshopped images of the initial research supporting the beta-amyloid deposition theory dating back to the early 2000's. Lastly, we pump the brakes on the use of GLP-1 agonists for weight loss (NOT as part of one's routine diabetes medication regimen), including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro; while weight loss is absolutely important to our physical and mental health, patients need to be informed about the potential long-term side effects and preventive measures should be emphasized at every visit.

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