The
Great Recession worsened blood pressure and blood glucose levels in American
adults
Teresa
Seeman, Duncan Thomas, Sharon Stein Merkin, Kari
Moore, Karol Watson and Arun Karlamangla
PNAS 2018; published
ahead of print March 12, 2018,
My
colleague and friend, Dr Mark W sent this link about the individual ill health
after the Great Recession of 2008-2010 in the USA. We had in the past discussed
the worsening health indicators: Obesity and Diabetes, after the Special Period
of Economic necessity in Cuba between 1980-1990.
When
Soviet Union broke up the soviet citizens also suffered a worsening of health
indicators including premature deaths and suicides.
So
people began to take note of the fact that Societal factors can have an impact
on the health of people. Of course it varies according to the system of
government and the culture of the people.
For
example infant mortality in the USA rises during Republican administrations,
because of the increase in health disparity. In Cuba health disparity does not
exist but the general decline in economic instability during the Special Period
was followed by Obesity and Diabetes and Cardiovascular disease.
I
have observed the phenomenon of unexplained high prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes
in Cambodia. While the epidemiologists of the day, try to pin it down to race
of Khmer people, and their ancestral connection with India, I was firm in my
belief that it was the trauma of the years of Khmer Rouge administration and
the extreme privations that gave rise to the Diabetes in the offsprings of that
period.
I
have cautioned my colleagues that the children born during the Special Period
in Cuba can expect higher rates of Obesity and Diabetes.
It
does not have to be such dramatic political events that can cause society
induced illness. After the 2001 attempt at the WTC in New York, Doctors all
over the country reported greater prevalences of headaches and anxiety and Dr
Rachel Yehuda has shown that the children born of mothers pregnant at that time
has inherited an epi genetic change and were more prone to Obesity as well as
Behavioural problems.
The
current level of societal anxiety is very high in the USA and there is a
consensus that Blood Pressure of healthy people in America especially among
those people who do not approve of the actions of the President has risen. Like
the anxiety after the recession of 2008-10, we might see higher rates of
obesity and diabetes in the years to come.. not to mention increasing infant
mortality and the number of people not taking their medications because they
cannot afford to.
This
gentleman, is the world we live in!
