115 entries and one year later, I mark the anniversary of this blog.Science only gets the doctor so far. We understand the biochemical mechanism of hypertension, we understand how deadly it is, we can easily diagnose it, and we know how to cheaply and effectively treat and even prevent it. Yet hypertension still afflicts a third of adults in the U.S. and kills a substantial fraction of them. We can't escape the fact that patients are people, with people's foibles, strengths, and shortcomings. This makes treating chronic illness frustrating and sometimes ineffectual. But that I am dealing not just with kidneys and arteries and hearts, but with people, is what also makes clinical medicine intensely rewarding.
To my surprise, more and more people have been stopping by. Since November, readers from 70 countries have visited. Within the United States, visitors came from 47 states plus the District of Columbia. The blog comes up on the first page of search results when one types "reflex hammer" into Google. The American College of Physicians featured the blog on its website, as a "Notable Voice of Internal Medicine." It has been an electrifying feeling. When I started, I figured the only people who would read my writing would be my family and a few friends.
I'm grateful to readers like you for allowing me to share my story. Thanks very much!
