For a long time I have had serious doubts about the efficacy of common drugs routinely prescribed by doctors as casually as they might ask you how you are feeling. My own doctor -- a nice fella who I think really cares about his patients -- once told me I ought to be taking a statin drug (like Lipitor) for my very slightly elevated cholesterol. So I did some research and found a number of studies that looked into the actual results of various drug regimens. They are usually listed as "number needed to treat" or NNT studies, and there are a bunch of them published and available on the internet.

So this is what I found with respect to statin drugs (from the site www.thennt.com):

Statin Drugs Given for 5 Years for Heart Disease Prevention (Without Known Heart Disease):
98% saw no benefit
0% were helped by being saved from death
1.6% were helped by preventing a heart attack
0.4% were helped by preventing a stroke
BUT--
1.5% were harmed by developing diabetes
10% were harmed by muscle damage

So the odds are 50:1 against any benefit from taking this drug for 5 years, and 11:1 that I would have some negative result. You can imagine, then, where I filed my doctor's recommendation.

But now I'm seeing this kind of revised thinking in studies all over the place. Not only are more specialists and research institutes cautioning against overuse of diagnostic tools like MRIs, CTs, PAP smears and PSA tests, but other studies are showing that many common surgical procedures are unnecessary -- and just today I saw a study that calls into question even the usefulness of an annual physical exam as measured by health outcomes. It turns out that a lot of harm is caused by these over-diagnoses and over-aggressive treatments.

I wonder if the solution to the exponentially growing cost of health care is not a more rationale -- or rationed? -- approach to how it is doled out.

This is, BTW, not an observation on Obamacare, either pro or con. Don't go there.

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2007 DL650
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" -- Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

You know the answer Mike, we've been had.

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Medical Doctors are taught to Prescribe drugs. I hear muttering that (up here in Canada at least) doctors get kickbacks from the Drug companies to prescribe drugs.

As far as cholesterol is concerned, I read years ago that Pectin (which occurs naturally under the skin of apples and is used in making Jams) can reduce Cholesterol as well.

..Tom

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My fiance' bought a Nutrabullet a couple of months ago and we have been sticking to the program pretty good. I can say I have never felt better. No more headaches and blood pressure is down quit a bit. Regardless of how you do it, nutrition is a great way to live alternatively to pills.
I have a friend who bought a super powerful industrial grade blender and he does the same diet by liquifying his fruits, nuts, flax seed meal and greens also. His response is the same.

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My eyes were opened after marrying a chiropractor several years ago. Our society eats crappy foods, doesn't exercise and worries to much. Life is much better if simplified. Quality foods in reasonable quantity, move your body, get enough sleep, and laugh a little. Avoid pill pushers but take meds when really needed, for example thyroid meds. Many drugs are prescribed just to address side effects of other drugs. Nobody EVER died from cholesterol. Studies show zero correlation between cholesterol and death. Inflammation however poses big risks for heart disease, cancer, and many others. De-stress your life. Motorcycling is great for that. OK, off my soapbox now.

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Gotta admit, the Medical Profession is just that. A profession and a business.
I love popping my heart pills everyday and observe the warnings on the labels that tell me I may die if I stop taking them. I feel so safe now!

They have a pill for pretty much every malaise known to man or beast. Life is too short to have to deal with the hassles associated with obtaining and taking them.

"I am dying of too many physicians."
- Alexander the Great, died 10./11.June 323 B.C.

seems like the drug companies develop a new drug then invent the disease

take shingles for instance, I know the disease has been around, but now that theres a drug, they try to make you believe that if you had chicken pox, you WILL get shingles if ya don't take the drug

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Yes, I agree that part of the problem is that people do not take enough responsibility for their own health, and an aspect of that is not questioning the medical advice they get from their doc. I'll bet very few even know about, much less look into, the NNT of the drugs they take.

But as to nutrition, I'm probably as skeptical there as I am about Big Pharma. There are some obvious things to ingest and some to avoid, but positions are being reversed so fast (coffee's bad for you; NO, wait, it's good for you!) that it makes a person dizzy.

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2007 DL650
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" -- Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927