BMJ  2004;328:115 (10 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7431.115-a

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Prevention is better than cure

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

One may think that "prevention is better than cure" is a quote from the goddess Hygiene, yet the vintage is recent and the wisdom is more limited than it appears.

What is "better?" Vaccination against whooping cough has its dangers, but these are negligible in comparison with whooping cough itself. As whooping cough does not give pleasure to anyone, it is reasonable to say that the prevention of whooping cough is "better" than whooping cough. But is the prevention of atherosclerosis by the combination of dietary measures, exercise, and avoidance of smoking "better" than the risk of myocardial infarction or obliterative arterial disease? And if incisive changes in lifestyle are proposed, would not the prohibition of horse riding, parachuting, mountain climbing, and skiing be "better" than the risks associated with these pastimes?

Tobacco, alcohol, drugs, coffee, chocolate, sugar, salt, red meat, raw fish, oysters, dairy products, smoked food, and food . . . [Full text of this article]

Nairobi Hospital Proceedings, Kenya

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Relevant Article

Cure is better than prevention

Jules Schagen van Leeuwen
BMJ 2004 328: 350. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Schagen van Leeuwen, J. (2004). Cure is better than prevention. BMJ 328: 350-350 [Full text]  

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prevention or cure?

jules schagen van leeuwen
bmj.com, 12 Jan 2004 [Full text]