Johan Frostegård

I sometimes get questions about what I am really doing, what I write and how this fits together with other activities, so I thought it might be a good idea to summarize some activities on a web site, relating both to research and medicine, and to other kinds of writing I am engaged in, and also medical ethics.

Professionally, I am Professor of Medicine and senior consultant i Rheumatology at Karolinska University Hospital. I have worked there since the 80s but have held these positions for ca three years. Our group´s research has been focused on the role of the immune system in atherosclerosis and thus cardiovascular disease. During recent years it has become clear that this disease or disease process is inflammatory in its nature.

Aims of our research include improving understanding of basic mechanisms, development of novel diagnostic methods based on antibody levels and also treatment against atherosclerosis by use of immunological methods. One possibility is to treat with certain kinds of natural antibodies, which we believe could protect against the disease – a possibility presently under investigation. Other possibilities could be treatment to stabilize the vessels which are affected by atherosclerosis, so they are not damaged (causing increased risk of heart infarction and stroke).

A special interest is the situation in rheumatic diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE; where the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease is very high. Hopefully increased knowledge on underlying causes could improve prevention and treatment in this group.

A major part of the job as researcher these days is to write lots of texts: applications (never ending); scientific articles of different kinds. Much of these are listed here with links to websites.

In addition to science and working as a doctor, I am active as a writer in medical ethics, and also in more general subjects.

In medical ethics, one area of interest is euthanasia. According to the traditional medical ethical codes as initially in Hippocratic writing, euthanasia is prohibited. I think euthanasia is potentially harmful and even dangerous, not on any religious ground, but because it risks to develop into a ”slippery slope”, meaning that individuals not originally thought of could be eligible for this kind of medical treatment. Instead of dying patients with pain, euthanasia is often requested more because of a loss of dignity, but what is more disturbing is the development in Holland where euthanasia has been given because of depression, dementia and even to severely sick children.

I have written about this and related questions in different newspapers, and also debated the issues in TV and radio. Included here are links to these articles, which, however unfortunately perhaps are in Swedish.

I also often write chronicles and other articles in the lay press, and I am also active as a writer, with two novels from the 90s, Salomos Vikarie and Älgarnas vinter.

A different kind of book I have written will be published in September this year, 2006, also in Swedish, ”Rheumatism”. The publisher is the new Karolinska Institutet University Press. The book is written for the lay public, patients and relatives, but I also had other groups in mind like journalists and decision makers in health care.