Seems like more big names dying this week than normal….
Four Forms of Numericide
By Alan Cassels, as published by Brownstone Institute on 26 August 2026
Table of Contents
Introduction
Numericide Number One: Blood Pressure at 120/80
Numericide’s Number Two: Low-Density Lipoprotein, or LDL, under 100 mg/dL
Numericide’s Number Three: HbA1C (Haemoglobin A1C ) of 5.6 or Lower
Numericide’s Number Four: BMI under 25
About the Author
Introduction
A recent article in The New York Times on the increasing rates of heart disease in young women (‘Why Are More Young Women Developing Heart Disease?’) was amusingly frivolous and about as fact-free as an article about health advice can be.
The key thrust of the article is that any woman who wants to preserve and improve her health should become informed of her “numbers.” Which is to say, she should know her blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI and haemoglobin A1C (a measure of average blood glucose levels), which are claimed to be “important for assessing risk.”
The Times quotes Dr. Priya Freaney, director of the Women’s Heart Care programme at Northwestern Medicine: “Knowing your numbers is your most powerful tool,” [she said] “And it’s never too early to start.”
What numbers are we talking about? Well, apparently doctors recommend “all adults strive for these levels”:
BP (Blood Pressure) under 120 mm Hg / 80 mm Hg
LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) under 100 mg/dL
HbA1C (Haemoglobin A1C ) of 5.6 or lower
BMI (Body-mass index) under 25
Now the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse- blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and BMI – threatening to strike you down in your healthy middle age unless you submit to the testing, treating (i.e., medications and lifestyle changes) and a retesting paradigm which can lead many to become obsessed by the numbers.
By the way, these four measures have one thing in common: They are typically treated with a prescribing pen that has been carefully guided in your doctor’s expert hands by the helpful people in the pharmaceutical industry. Just saying …
Let’s approach these four with a bit of basic epidemiology, examining the wisdom of telling people of “average risk” to aim for these targets. Obviously, people with pre-existing conditions or those with inherently much higher or multiple risks (such as levels that are in the red flashing light category) involve a different calculus.
But for the sake of evaluating the drive to push people toward these health targets, what do the highest quality studies ultimately say about the value in chasing these numeric targets in healthy people?
Numericide Number One: Blood Pressure at 120/80
I will always remember that old quip from an ageing physician: “High blood pressure is better than no blood pressure at all.” But the question one should ask is this: If you lower your blood pressure, does it lead to a reduction in your chance of a cardiovascular event or dying?
https://expose-news.com/2026/08/28/numercide-when-doctors-use-numbers-to-prescribe/