A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms what most of us have already discovered the hard way ... that older folks take too many dangerous drugs. Older folks take more drugs to begin with and their more frail bodies are less able to handle drug interactions.
How big a problem is it? Experts say that among older men the number could be 10% or one man in every ten. The study says that there could be 2 million people in America taking potentialy harmful mix of medications today.
It's not just medications but combinations of medications with over-the-counter supplements that can be a problem. There are so many prescription drugs on the market and so many supplements that no one really knows all of the possible combinations or how each person will react.
BUYER BEWARE and be careful!
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Big, Fat News for Health
New study in the New England Journal of Medicine makes it clear belly fat is really a big, red flag for health problems. A European study followed 360,000 men and women for almost 10 years and their conclusion is that belly fat indicates a higher risk of death than simply being overweight. Men with waists measuring over 40 inches are considered at higher risk while the number is only 35 inches for women.
How important is belly fat? Men with a waistline of 40 inches were twice as likely to die as those with waists of 34 inches or less. The belly is a more reliable indicator of health risk than the BMI (body mass index). The risk is even higher for women.
Like it or not we need to eat less, eat better and exercise in America if we expect to have the quality of life, and duration, that we deserve.
How important is belly fat? Men with a waistline of 40 inches were twice as likely to die as those with waists of 34 inches or less. The belly is a more reliable indicator of health risk than the BMI (body mass index). The risk is even higher for women.
Like it or not we need to eat less, eat better and exercise in America if we expect to have the quality of life, and duration, that we deserve.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Drugs Can Kill
The government issued a warning on Friday that patients taking some common medications for high cholesterol and irregular heart beats can suffer severe muscle damage because of a problem in the way the drugs interact. Once again people are guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical industry.
The Food and Drug Administration said doctors should use extra care when prescribing Zocor, generic Zocor, or Vytorin to patients who are also taking amiodarone, a heart rhythm drug marketed as Cordarone or Pacerone. Want to bet the drug salesmen forget to mention this small problem because it might impact their revenue?
When are Americans going to wake up to the fact that drugs have a higher cost than they've ever been told by doctors or drug companies?
The Food and Drug Administration said doctors should use extra care when prescribing Zocor, generic Zocor, or Vytorin to patients who are also taking amiodarone, a heart rhythm drug marketed as Cordarone or Pacerone. Want to bet the drug salesmen forget to mention this small problem because it might impact their revenue?
When are Americans going to wake up to the fact that drugs have a higher cost than they've ever been told by doctors or drug companies?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Deaths Stop Drug Trials
Another week, another drug problem in the headlines. Today on the frontpage of the Dallas Morning News the story is about a trial for a new diabetes drug being cancelled because it was killing people. The intensive treatment to lower blood sugar raised the risk of heart attack and stroke.
My favorite quote in the article is from Dr. Steven Nissen, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist, who said "This suggests that there are things drugs do that we don't understand." As Homer Simpson would say, "Duh!"
Almost as good was the quote from Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, who said "We were obviously surprised, we were hoping for a positive outcome."
Sometimes the drug-dominated world of mainstream medicine is really scary.
My favorite quote in the article is from Dr. Steven Nissen, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist, who said "This suggests that there are things drugs do that we don't understand." As Homer Simpson would say, "Duh!"
Almost as good was the quote from Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, who said "We were obviously surprised, we were hoping for a positive outcome."
Sometimes the drug-dominated world of mainstream medicine is really scary.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
America Has The Best Health Care?
How can anyone believe that America has the best health care in the world when pregnancy kills 1 in 4,800 American women? Our country ranks #41 in motherhood mortality, and this isn't a case of a small difference. Ireland has only 1 death in 47,600 pregnancies. Italy has only 1 in 25,900. Germany 1 in 19,200. Sweden 1 in 17,400. Spain 1 in 16,400.
America has 1 pregnancy death in every 4,800. We're tied with the East European country of Belarus.
The report was issued by the World Health Organization.
I continue to bring up the state of health care in America to open your eyes to the world of CAM, complementary and alterantive medicine. American doctors don't walk on water and health care in our country is not the best in the world even though we spend more on health care than any other nation on the planet. It's time to consider other options, to think about changes.
America has 1 pregnancy death in every 4,800. We're tied with the East European country of Belarus.
The report was issued by the World Health Organization.
I continue to bring up the state of health care in America to open your eyes to the world of CAM, complementary and alterantive medicine. American doctors don't walk on water and health care in our country is not the best in the world even though we spend more on health care than any other nation on the planet. It's time to consider other options, to think about changes.
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