Way Too Many Prescriptions

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, August 11, 2008

Way Too Many Prescriptions

(OMNS, August 11, 2008) Vitamin Therapy Safer, More Effective

Half of all Americans are on drugs: prescription drugs. It's true,

says the Associated Press (14 May 2008): " Half of all insured

Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic

health problems. " That is nothing to be proud of.

Among the very most prescribed of all are drugs to lower " bad " LDL

cholesterol. Patients taking pharmaceuticals trying to do that are

being mistreated. Why? Because niacin (vitamin B-3) in high doses is

just as effective, much cheaper, and most importantly, far safer.

Niacin raises beneficial HDL levels better than any drug. (1) It also

dramatically lowers triglycerides.

The New York Times agrees, saying: " An effective HDL booster already

exists. It is niacin, the ordinary B vitamin. Niacin can increase HDL

as much as 35 percent when taken in high doses, usually about 2,000

milligrams per day . . . and it has been shown to reduce serum levels

of artery-clogging triglycerides as much as 50 percent. " The president

of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. E. Nissen, said,

" Niacin is really it. Nothing else available is that effective. " (2)

Indeed, niacin is it. Niacin is cheaper, safer and more effective. (3)

So why are cholesterol-lowering drugs pushed anywhere and everywhere?

Professor of medicine Dr. B. Greg Brown offered an answer: " If you're

a drug company, I guess you can't make money on a vitamin. "

One reason why doctors and patients select drugs over vitamins is,

said AP, " the pharmaceutical industry's relentless advertising. "

Indeed, " Americans buy much more medicine per person than any other

country . . . The biggest jump in use of chronic medications was in

the 20- to 44-year-old age group - adults in the prime of life - where

it rose 20 percent over the (last) six years. " That is a huge increase.

Even worse than that, now one out of every four children and teenagers

is taking a chronic disease drug, usually for depression, asthma, or

ADHD. Pushing drug therapy for these conditions is largely based on

profit, not health. The value of vitamin therapy for each of these

conditions is already well established. (4)

It is time for patients to assert that they are simply not going to

accept more and more drugs, at higher and higher prices, with more and

more dangerous side effects. It is time to demand the proven but

too-long-overlooked alternative: safe and effective nutritional

treatment.

Not one of the cells in your body is made from a drug. When you see

advertisements urging you to take prescription drugs for a chronic

condition, ask your doctor why. Then ask for a nutritional

alternative. Half of us on chronic medication means it is time to say

no to drugs.

References:

(1) Alderman JD, Pasternak RC, Sacks FM, HS, Monrad ES, Grossman

W. Effect of a modified, well-tolerated niacin regimen on serum total

cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and the cholesterol

to high density lipoprotein ratio. Am J Cardiol. 1989 Oct 1;64(12):725-9.

(2) Mason M. NY Times, January 23, 2007. An old cholesterol remedy is

new again.

(3) http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v01n10.shtml Also vitamin

E: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v01n01.shtml

(4) Depression: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v01n11.shtml

Asthma: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v01n08.shtml

Behavioral disorders:

http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v03n07.shtml

Research summaries at

http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/index.shtml

Free access to full-text, peer-reviewed journal articles at

http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom

OMNS Update: OMNS August 7th, 2008 release titled " AOL Shills For Big

Pharma " - AOL now appears to have dropped the " Presented by Journey

for Control " link to Merck Inc. from their " Dangerous Vitamins "

article. The text of the article appears unchanged.

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine

Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to

fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org

The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit

and non-commercial informational resource.

Editorial Review Board:

Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.

Damien Downing, M.D.

Harold D. , Ph.D.

Steve Hickey, Ph.D.

Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D.

A. , PhD

Bo H. Jonsson, MD, Ph.D

Levy, M.D., J.D.

Paterson, M.D.

Gert E. Shuitemaker, Ph.D.

W. Saul, Ph.D., Editor and contact person. Email:

omns@...

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