The intriguing scientific question is how can bariatric surgery result in an almost immediate improvement in the insulin resistance profile of diabetic patients?

The most sweeping reforms since 1997 are planned this year for theFDAin order to address the concern that it is not protecting the public from drugs' risks as effectively as it might.

Durably improving health is really, really hard. I've discussed this in the context of drug discovery, which must contend with the ever-more-apparent reality that biology is incredibly complex, and science remarkably fragile. Here, I'd like to focus on another challenge: measuring and improving the quality of patient care.

When medical journal editors pursue a political agenda,public healthpaysthe price.

All levels of government face growing pressures to restrain spending. One downside to the rapid growth in tax-financed health spending that I have documented in several prior posts is the vulnerability of the health system to measures taken to curb government spending. But the degree of such vulnerability varies dramatically across different components of the health sector.

Can our slow-growing and debt-ridden economy "afford" to limit future spending on health care? Health-sector boosters point to the industry's long record of creating more jobs and growing faster than the rest of the economy. But a number of recent warning signs indicate what cannot go on forever will not, and a rebalancing of our future spending patterns might be good economic medicine.

Consumers and doctors need to work more closely with pharmaceutical product developers.

Several elements of the health reform plans moving proposed by the White House and moving through Congress would be detrimental to patients.