In several previous posts, I have cited statistics and trends with respect to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other chronic diseases that are currently rampant in the Western nations. Historically, in the US and other Western nations, we have relied primarily on prescription drugs to address these and other chronic diseases. But, is that strategy still viable? Let’s consider the following.
Data suggests that in 2005, the total number of prescriptions purchased in the United States was 3.6 billion and in 2006, the average number of retail prescriptions per head was 12.4 (1) In the United Kingdom, on average, people aged 60 and over received 42.4 items per head in 2007, compared to 22.3 items in 1997 – indicating that the average number of prescription items dispensed to older people doubled in a decade in that country (2). Research from Medco Health Solutions Inc. (a company that manages prescription benefits for 1 in 5 Americans) indicates that prescription drug use is on the rise not just among Seniors. In fact, the biggest jump in the use of chronic medications is in the 20-44 year-old age group – adults in the prime of life who are already on the committed path of drugs “for life” for conditions such as Depression, Diabetes, Asthma and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), amongst others.
Economist Paul Zane Pilzer (Author, The New Wellness Revolution, 2nd Edition, Wiley, 2007) has an interesting perspective on this rise in the use of prescription drugs. In one of his recent articles, he stated that prescription drugs were first developed by individuals such as Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Alexander Fleming – physicians who developed the polio vaccine and antibiotics such as penicillin. These agents either prevented disease from occurring in the first place or cured acute disease relatively quickly. According to Pilzer, however, today about 95% of prescription drugs are “maintenance drugs” – that is, these drugs do not prevent disease, but treat only disease symptoms, and for most individuals (once they are on them) are designed to be taken “for life.” In spite of these traits, the world’s five top-selling prescription drugs (Lipitor, Zocor, Nexium, Prevacid, and Zoloft) presently account for more than $25 billion in sales in the United States alone (3).
TOUGH QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE ANSWERED
In light of the general rise in chronic disease rates (i.e. the rise in new cases of diabetes, heart disease, etc.) in the US and the West, even in the face of an astronomical rise in the use of prescription drugs, the question inevitably arises: If we are so well medicated in the West, why are we still so sick? If prescription drugs alone are the answer to our problems, then why are rates of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other conditions generally on the rise?
My answer to the above (apparent conundrum) is that one of the main reasons why chronic disease rates are on the rise in the Western nations is because we are grossly failing to address the fundamental root causes of these diseases to the extent it is possible to do so, given our current state of knowledge. I am not against the use of prescription drugs. I believe that they can be, and often are, life-saving especially in acute situations. However, I am against their excessive use, and abuse, in situations that evidence indicates should be – and can be – ameliorated far more safely with simple nutritional and lifestyle changes. While I believe that there is certainly a right and proper place for the use of prescription drugs, the numbers cited above clearly indicate that our reliance on drugs has become way out of hand. In light of these numbers, I am obliged to confirm Paul Pilzer’s conclusion that of the millions of individuals on “maintenance drugs,” few should be taking them “for life.” Rather, these individuals should be working with competent health professionals to improve their diet and lifestyle to address and overcome the underlying causes of their condition, whenever it is possible to do so.
GETTING TO CAUSES, AND TO LASTING SOLUTIONS
In upcoming posts, I will outline some of the key causes that have made conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer nearly synonymous with living in the West, or in Western-style nations. But as daunting as they may seem, these problems have solutions. Through research and time-tested evidence, we have the knowledge today to affect powerfully the prevention of many of these diseases and conditions. If we fail to use this knowledge, we will have made poor use not only of decades of diligent research, but also of our own ability to affect positively and benevolently the state of our health and consequently, the course of our lives.
NOTES
(1) US Prescription Drug Trends
(2) UK Prescription Drug Statistics for Seniors
(3) Pilzer, Paul Zane – From the article, “A Perfect Storm.” Success from Home (Magazine) Vol1, Issue 6.
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