Chasing Zebras

Your Problems Probably Aren't Unique

When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.

This is a common saying in medicine. It’s been around in various forms since the 1940s for good reason. It’s true.

Humans are incredibly unique. They have their own personalities, lifestyles, beliefs, and so on. The human body, however, is mostly the same.

Every human body develops along a similar embryologic pathway. We all reach puberty around the same age. We all fall within the same height distribution. We all have the same hormones. Because of this, we are all subject to similar diseases and pathologies.

The most common cause of death in America, believe it or not, is not Covid-19. Heart disease and cancer have been the top 2 causes of death for many years. The same 8 diseases round out the top 10 every single year, with few exceptions.