Medicine: Art Beyond Exact Science

Medicine cannot be treated as an exact science, as it often involves probabilities and artistic interpretation rather than strict applications like mathematics or chemistry. Many doctors mistakenly believe that changing a biomarker will directly reduce health risks, despite lacking rigorous evidence from double-blinded randomized control trials. For instance, simply lowering lipoprotein(a) may not significantly impact health outcomes, and the actual chance of benefiting from such an intervention can be minimal. Patients must be educated on major lifestyle factors that contribute to heart disease, as 80% of these cases are tied to environmental influences like diet, exercise, stress, and smoking. Prioritizing lifestyle changes can help individuals improve their health and potentially avoid medication, which can have side effects and impair quality of life.