Commerce or coercion?
 
The bones of the drug-marketing issue

I've been railing for a long time about how drug marketing causes
an increase in the diagnosis of illness. Slick, prime-time TV
commercials for this drug or that one spiel off vague lists of
symptoms that almost everyone suffers from to try and prompt
folks into self-diagnosis. After that, their invitations to "Ask your
doctor for more information about (insert disease-of-the-day here)
and NEW (insert drug-of-the-moment here)" spur people who
didn't even know they were sick to flock to their doctors…

By then, it's all over but the prescription writing.

Recently, an Associated Press article really hammered home to me
just how effective drug marketing can be. According to the article,
data from 2003 shows that osteoporosis diagnoses have increased
SEVENFOLD since 1994. Doctor visits for the condition have
jumped nearly 5 times over the same period.

Now I realize that osteoporosis had indeed become more common
as an ailment over this period (largely because of the vilification of
sunshine) — but 7 times over in just 9 years? That's coercive drug
marketing at work and nothing more. Need proof? The AP story
states how the increase in osteoporosis diagnoses has conveniently
coincided with the high-profile releases of new drugs to treat the
condition in 1995, 1997, and 1998.

Now do you see how the drug business fuels the "increase" in
certain diseases?

This same thing is happening with all sorts of other conditions. I'd
love to see similar statistics on the boom in diagnoses of
depression, ADD, asthma, high cholesterol, and erectile
dysfunction over the last decade. These are all diseases
aggressively targeted by drug marketing — and they all have
increased stratospherically in the last ten years.

That's not to say that these diseases aren't prevalent, or that a
certain number of the cases being diagnosed aren't legitimate. It's
just that drug ads have us all convinced that if we're not operating
at our absolute pain-free peak every waking moment, we must be
"sick" and in need of medication. Remember, as we age, it's
perfectly normal to get the blues every once in while, or to
experience some aches and pains, congestion, or occasional
challenges in the bedroom. It doesn't mean you need a
prescription.

In fact, if you're suffering from any of these things (and more),
there are effective alternatives to drugs. That's especially the case
with osteoporosis. Keep reading… 

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Fooling fractures with folate

As I said above, just because "Big Pharma" is fanning the flames
of osteoporosis diagnosis doesn't mean that the condition isn't
prevalent or increasing in frequency. It just means that drug
companies have found a way to position themselves as the solution
to the problem.

But recent evidence shows that some natural substances — certain
B vitamins, to be specific — can be quite effective (as effective as
prescriptions drugs, I'll wager) in preventing the most common
effects of osteoporosis: Broken bones.

According to a recent ABC News online item (reprinted from the
Associated Press), a European report found a positive association
between the occurrence of osteoporosis-related bone fractures and
blood levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, long known to
cause an increased risk of heart disease. The research showed that
both men and women with homocysteine levels in the top 25% of
subjects endured twice as great a risk of fractures as those in the
lowest 25% bracket. A U.S. study yielded this same finding. The
research couldn't pinpoint why homocysteine contributed to
fractures, but some theorize that the amino acid interferes with
chemical bonds in bone tissue.

So what's the best way to naturally slash your homocysteine (along
with your heart disease and osteoporosis risk)? Good old folate, or
folic acid, a B vitamin of the most powerful order. There are three
"Bs" that have been found necessary in the control of
homocysteine: B12, B6 and of course folate. Besides
supplementation (always a good idea), certain fruits like apricots
and cantaloupes are high in folate — broccoli and other "green
leafies" are, too, but don't overdo it. You should also make sure
you're getting plenty of dairy products (preferably raw) and nuts
like almonds and peanuts.

Fringe benefits of consuming plenty of full-fat milk and cheese are
calcium and Vitamin D, both known to aid in osteoporosis
prevention. And for goodness sakes, get out in the sun! There's
nothing like sunshine for boosting vitamin D levels (not to mention
your mood).

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