Dwindling 401k’s are not just a headache. They could result in serious health problems for Americans who are delaying care for chronic conditions due to financial concerns. The New York Times reported yesterday that Americans are cutting back on meds, and the Washington Post reported last week that the economic downturn is prompting many Americans to perform self-triage, delaying preventive and other regular care for a variety of conditions. Gruentzig may have performed coronary catheterization on himself on the kitchen table, but I don’t recommend to others. This will hurt prevention efforts.