Our medical care system can accomplish miraculous things. Surgeons can operate on the vessels of the heart, clearing blockages and installing appliances to keep the vessels open. We have new medicines and new treatments designed to catch disease early or prevent it altogether. But do these miracle treatments do anything of value? Do people live longer or better? Are we getting our money’s worth?

In part two of a two part series, we’re joined again by Dr. Nortin Hadler, author of the books Rethinking Aging: Growing old and living well in an overtreated society and Worried Sick: A prescription for health in an overtreated America. Dr. Hadler is a brilliant physician, board certified in Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology and Geriatrics and is Professor of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology at the University of North Carolina

In this episode, Dr. Hadler discusses the issues of screening tests. He makes clear that it is hard to take well people and make them healthier. The bottom line is that people not only need to be better educated health care consumers, we also need to rethink what it means to be health and to get past medicalizing everything. We should be celebrating and enjoying our lives.

Podcast: Download