In case you’ve been thinking that medical science is on a linear path to progress . . .
The L.A. Times says reports of “adverse events” are soaring as Americans take more and more pills: in ’05, nearly 90,000 bad drug reactions were reported, with over 15,000 resulting in death. These numbers have tripled in less than 10 years—and what about the adverse reactions not reported or not even known?
Ninety percent of reactions are attributed to just 20 percent of the drugs, and they include painkillers, estrogens, insulin, anti-clotting and anti-arthritis meds, and antidepressants. Painkillers comprise five of the six that KILL most often, including acetaminophen—that’s right, Tylenol.
Thomas J. Moore of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices says, “The clear finding is that we are losing ground in terms of drug safety.”
This is just another pebble in the mountain of compelling evidence that we ought to take responsibility for our health, change our lifestyles, and consider nutrition and alternatives to drugs to address health concerns.
