Monthly Archives: January 2011
“Drug companies hide or downplay information about serious side effects of new drugs,” says Jacksonville Beach Chiropractic Physician.
| January 30, 2011 | Posted by Dr.John under Jacksonville Beach Wellness Center |
A report presented at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association reveals that most new pharmaceutical drugs offer practically no benefits and a whole lot of negative side effects. ??
Americans now spend over $200 billion a year on prescription drugs, and this spending continues to increase by an average of 12 percent each year. And drugs are now the fastest growing part of the staggeringly high cost of the American health-care bill. Yet what most people don’t know is the fact that most drugs don’t do what they are promoted to do.
Donald Light, sociologist, professor of comparative health policy at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and author of the report, explains that the drug industry as a whole produces all sorts of “lemon” drugs that do not work, whose efficacy has not been proven and whose manufacturers are protected from responsibility by industry protection laws.
“Sometimes drug companies hide or downplay information about serious side effects of new drugs and overstate the drugs’ benefits,” he said in a press release. “Then, they spend two or three times more on marketing than on research to persuade doctors to prescribe these new drugs. Doctors may get misleading information and then misinform patients about the risks of a new drug.”
According to an independent review, only about 15 percent of new drugs even work as stated, and most new drugs — whether they offer a benefit or not — come with serious side effects that are now a significant cause of death in the U.S.
The report explains that drug companies deliberately expose large amounts of people to ineffective, harmful drugs in trials, but skew them to make it look as if the drugs are effective. They then submit hosts of incomplete, inaccurate data to the FDA for approval, followed by large marketing campaigns designed to convince doctors to prescribe the newly approved drugs for both approved and unapproved uses.
According to the report, an analysis of 111 final drug applications revealed that 42 percent were missing adequate randomized trials, 40 percent had inaccurate dosage testing, 39 percent failed to show drug efficacy, and roughly half revealed the drugs to have serious adverse side effects.
Light also emphasized that, because drug companies control the scientific testing process, the selection of which tests get submitted to the FDA and what research gets published, the entire process is biased and flawed.
Pharmaceutical companies know that in order to make a profit, they must do one of three things: create new illnesses (such as heartburn, erectile dysfunction, social anxiety disorder, or shyness) for their new drugs to treat; get patients to ask for newer, more expensive drugs; or have doctors write more prescriptions.
Unfortunately, while conventional medical doctors are writing record numbers of prescriptions each year, the health of our nation continues to decline.
Even though the United States spends more money on health care per capita than does any other country in the world, The World Health Organization in 2000 ranked the U.S. health-care system first in both responsiveness and cost, but 37th in overall performance and 72nd in overall health (among 191 member nations included in the study).
More drugs doesn’t necessarily mean better health. Be sure to review your medications before taking them. You need to be proactive, learn about the drugs you are taking, their potential side effects, and be sure to ask me if there are more natural options that you should consider.
If you would like to learn more about how you can get and stay healthy, Click Here to sign up for my free Health Matters Newsletter.
As natural health care provider and chiropractic physician in Jacksonville Beach FL, I see my job as educating, coaching, and nurturing my patients to better health and wellness.
Yours In Health,
Dr. John Davenport D.C., F.I.A.M.A.
www.davenportnaturalhealth.com
Dr. John Davenport a Jacksonville Beach chiropractic physician and wellness consultant shares advice on Exercising and Anti-Aging.
| January 26, 2011 | Posted by Dr.John under Jacksonville Beach Chiropractor |
One thing everyone has in common is that everyone grows older. There is no way around it, given current technology; the body will age. Naturally, the majority of people would prefer to slow down the process. Who wouldn’t want to look younger than their age? So let’s look to lifestyle choices, specifically exercise and anti-aging.
Some form of exercise can be done by just about everyone and it has huge potential to help with anti-aging. Exercise may help by strengthening your muscles and allowing you more flexibility, which can mean a better quality of life. Exercise can also help keep additional weight off that would otherwise put a lot of stress on joints and organs. Additionally, exercise might have another benefit by giving you a healthy outlet from stress in your life.
It is important to consult your physician first before starting an exercise program. Ask the doctor all the questions you may have regarding what kind of exercise you can safely do and what is recommended. Since most doctors know very little about exercise and nutrition, look for one who has post graduate training in sports medicine or exercise physiology.
Check to see if they exercise as well. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable taking advice from an obviously de-conditioned doctor.
As you start an exercise program, there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Start slowly. Nothing kills your desire to exercise like going full-out on the first day and winding up so sore you can hardly get out of bed the next. Moderation is key.
2. Keep it regular. To have lasting benefits, you should ideally do some form of exercise every week for… ever. If that sounds intimidating, just take it week by week until it’s a regular part of your life. Sometimes you need to remind yourself why you’re doing it and other times you’ll want to do it because it feels so good.
3. Make it interesting. There is no “should” do this or that. If you are getting some cardiovascular or muscle strengthening benefit from your workout, then do it. If you find doing the same thing day in and day out is boring, then change it up. Walk, ride a bike, lift some weights, use a rowing machine, try yoga or Tai-Chi, do kick-boxing, or whatever sounds interesting to you.
Exercise can be a huge anti-aging weapon as your workouts can help with your weight, your feeling of well-being, your muscle tone and your flexibility. Studies
show that exercise is helpful in the battle against many chronic diseases which included cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
The good news is you can tailor your routine to fit you and your particular lifestyle. So consult your physician, put aside excuses, and get moving.
If you would like to learn more about how you can get and stay healthy, Click Here to sign up for my free Health Matters Newsletter.
As natural health care provider and chiropractic physician in Jacksonville Beach Fl, I see my job as educating, coaching, and nurturing my patients to better health and wellness.
Yours In Health,
Dr. John
www.davenportnaturalhealth.com
