The Center for Disease Control reports that 37 million American adults out of 68 million who have hypertension are not adequately controlled by medication. Likewise 48 million out of 71 million with high cholesterol are uncontrolled. 20 million with high blood pressure and 37 million with hyperlipidemia are not being treated at all. These numbers do not include those who live in nursing homes. The implication is that patients and their physicians are neglecting the former’s health care by not taking enough drugs, and some of that is true. However, lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, obesity and smoking are at least twice as powerful treatments as drugs. Natural supplements such as red yeast for cholesterol and magnesium for hypertension are much safer and cheaper than many drugs that are available. Side effects and high costs discourage patients from taking prescription drugs. A more natural approach would produce better statistics and fewer heart attacks and strokes.
See the NHANES study at www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns (click here)
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