A Medical Mystery of the Best Kind: Major Diseases Are in Decline

Post by yaacov » Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 4:46 AM UTC

77897555 wrote: post #111

magila wrote: post #44

On the other hand, autoimmune diseases have been increasing in prevalence over the last century. While these diseases are rarely immediately fatal, in severe cases they can have a major impact on quality of life. Onset often occurs in early adulthood so the cost of treatment over a lifetime can be extremely high. The usual treatment, immunosuppressive therapy, also has serious risks of its own. While there has been m…

Clinically speaking, perhaps biological evolution had a chance of dealing with this. Now, biological evolution has been replaced by "social evolution". A trait of physically debilitating condition, that is treatable, is no longer a reproduction fullstop. Those genes carry on. What genes will peter out are the absence of skills that are employable and not being able to find a partner because of that. Of course this is…

Post by OvidNaso » Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 4:56 AM UTC

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #117

alexandercrohde wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. I wish this article wouldn't speak so generally when I hear consistent articles about major spikes in: - Autoimmune issues (especially allergies) - Obesity (particularly in children) and diabetes - Autism - Depression, ADD, and similar disorders

> Autism - Depression, ADD, and similar disorders My personal impression is that the rise of mental conditions is an increase in diagnosis, not occurrence. An awful lot of people who, just a few decades ago, would have been dismissed as lazy, stupid, whiny, or the all-purpose "crazy" are actually starting to receive recognition and treatment. That's a good thing.

Post by allengeorge » Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 4:59 AM UTC

nxzero wrote: post #97

codecamper wrote: post #90

I wonder if all the benefits may be coming from people having kids later in life. You'd think this would lead to more disease, but maybe we are actually evolving to be longer living and the kids later in life is what is causing it.

Research does show that having kids is correlated to having a longer life expectancy: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/iage/201410/having-chil...

Post by lsc » Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 6:15 AM UTC

OvidNaso wrote: post #123

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Autism - Depression, ADD, and similar disorders My personal impression is that the rise of mental conditions is an increase in diagnosis, not occurrence. An awful lot of people who, just a few decades ago, would have been dismissed as lazy, stupid, whiny, or the all-purpose "crazy" are actually starting to receive recognition and treatment. That's a good thing.

The increase in suicide rates seems to be evidence against this hypothesis.

Post by ajuc » Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 11:04 AM UTC

Clubber wrote: post #109

ChuckMcM wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There have been a number of meta studies which have tried to link the removal of lead from gasoline and the drop in violent crime. The correlate well.

Also the legality of abortion (Roe v Wade, 1973) could be a contributing reason. The drop in crime came about 18 - 20 years after abortion was declared a constitutional right. Most crime is caused by teenagers and young adults. What affect started in 1992,1993 that is still happening today?