The Right to Know

America spends a lot of money on our health yet we are not a healthy nation. Why? Our medical system has to change. We have a reactive system of care rather than a health care system. Why? We need to spend more time and money on preventing diseases and health problems before we are sick and then are scrambling for a cure or a magic medicine. As usual, Trump is yet again doing all the wrong things. Recently he signed an executive order called “The Right to Try”   that will allow desperate sick people to try experimental drugs and treatments without FDA, Federal Drug Administration approvals. Does he even know why America is a great country? IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO REGULATE AND TO MAKE SURE OUR FOOD, DRUGS, BUILDINGS BRIDGES AND PRODUCTS ARE SAFE FOR ALL!

He thinks he is doing desperate people a favor meanwhile with the use of experimental and unusual treatments, chances are that Americans will get even sicker. If he was a good President he would sign something that would give scientists greater leave way and support into  the new frontier of gene therapy and DNA testing where we can determine through genetics and other sources what diseases and conditions we might be susceptible to get before it hits us. Almost every human being is carrying one, two or three markers for disease based on our genetics. If one of your parents had heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s or any number of illnesses, chances are you might suffer from the same condition some day. Instead of just waiting for the horrible disease to strike you we should be spending more of our time trying to prevent and find a cure for these diseases. Counting on charitable foundations is not enough.

We should be spending efforts to map out babies gene sequences. If you care for your child don’t you want to know what he or she will be in for in their future medical history? Yes, we can predict the future now. But do you want to know how you will probably die? Most people want to know what they are in for and would take preventable measures with FDA approved drugs. Not the way Trump is encouraging Americans to play roulette with their health. Instead of “The Right to Try” Trump should have signed the ‘Eyes Right Open” order for safe predictable preventable health problems.

Science can be an early indicator so we can stay ahead of the curve. We need to be able to collect as much data and information we can on our lives besides Ancestry information. Will insurance companies and employers use our information against us if we have found out that say heart disease might be in our future? Will couples not want to have more kids if breast cancer was found in their genes? Would knowing your probably health future put you into a psychological burden? We still need to have a predicting and then preventing way of approaching our health.