December 02, 2004

Is That All?

Drudge shouts:

40% OF AMERICANS TAKE DRUGS

Well, duh. I myself take two medications daily, Allopurinol to keep my uric acid levels down (I suffer from gout) and Pravachol to keep my cholesterol down (currently on a test run). Gee, does anyone out there know anyone over 40 who isn't taking something daily? Last I heard, birth control pills still required a prescription, so that alone has to be worth 25% of the population. Given that supposedly 28,000,000 Americans were taking Vioxx, this 40% figure seems to be just a little low.

But there are some other interesting facts in this article as well:

The annual report on Americans' health found that just over 44 percent of all Americans take at least one prescription drug, and 16.5 percent take at least three.

Gee Matt, if your going to try and be sensational, at least take advanatge of the total number.

The study also found that spending on health climbed 9.3 percent in 2002 to $1.6 trillion.

But the problem with medical coverage in this country is an insurance problem, right?

Prescription drugs, which make up about one-tenth of the total medical bill, were the fastest growing expenditure. The price of drugs rose 5 percent, but wider use of medicines pushed total expenditures up 15.3 percent in 2002. Drug expenditures have risen at least 15 percent every year since 1998.

And you thought Social Security would be what bankrupts America, didn't you? A growth rate of 15% means that drug expeditures are doubling every five years. Woo Hoo!

The report said prescription drug use was increasing among people of all ages, and use increases with age.

Like, duh.

Nearly half of all women were taking prescription drugs - 49 percent - compared to 39 percent of men. Usage peaked at 84 percent for people aged 65 and over, with the top rate at 89 percent for black women over 65. Even for people under age 18, however, nearly one-fourth - 24.1 percent - were taking at least one prescription medication. The rate rose to 34.7 percent between age 18 and 44; for those ages 45 to 64, it was 62.1 percent.

Better life through chemistry. And no, that's not sarcasm. So let's not kill the goose that's laying the golden eggs, ok?

Posted by Charles Austin at December 2, 2004 12:54 PM
Comments

I am fortunate. 42, and no prescription drugs. I do however take echinacea, c, e, blue-green algae.
Very physical lifestyle, and I dont worry about what I eat. YET.
I snowboard 10 to 14 hours a day in the winter, I work on a Christmas tree farm in the summer.

Posted by: joe citizen at 03:57 PM

I'm over 40 and take no prescription meds either. I should regularly take Magnesium and a few good-for-older-gal herbs, but I keep forgetting to take 'em. I go to the gym at least 3 times per week. And I'm not getting much sex these days... sigh..

Posted by: JulieC at 07:26 PM