A Very Interesting Study

Posted: September 20th, 2010 | Author: Dr. Bill Stillwell | No Comments »

I did a lot of reading over the weekend, catching up on mail,
medical journals and studies, then even managed to get in a bit of
recreational reading. A lot of that had to do with the fact that
there were no “honeydoo’s” on the eraser board that governs my life.

In one of the health journals, in this case the New England Journal
of Medicine, there was a very interesting study, which examined
prescriptions by doctors, in the state of Massachusetts. The
researchers examined 200,000 prescriptions, written by over 1,200
doctors, over the course of a year. The researchers were trying to
determine the rate at which the doctors’ prescriptions were being
filled.

Another way of looking at this would be the question, “At what rate
were the doctors’ orders being followed?”

Regarding drugs, they found that one quarter to one third of all
prescriptions written were not filled. I found that fairly
astonishing, because that doesn’t account for people who fill the
prescription, but then do not take the prescribed drug. In another
study, it was reported that up to half of all patients do not take
the drugs prescribed by their physicians.

Previously, I have written about the fact that medical schools are
now teaching Alternative Medicine, because over fifty per cent of
the public has used one, or more, alternative options in the last
few years.

I have been urging people to take fish oil for years, but it hasn’t
been until very, very recently that cardiologists began moving in
that same direction. In addition, they have also been telling
patients to use garlic and niacin, with the fish oil, something I
began doing nearly thirty years ago.

The reason for this interest in alternatives can be boiled down
fairly simply.

Drugs, no matter how well they perform, rarely have no side effects.

Alternatives, such as fish oil, CoQ10, garlic and niacin, are almost
side effect free. That’s not to say some folks won’t have a problem,
but the incidence of having the same problems as the drugs, or other
serious side effects…is almost nil.

I’m not anti drug. Drugs have a place in medical therapy and they do
some wondrous things. But we don’t need to be taking nearly as many
drugs as the pharmaceutical companies would have you believe.
Children don’t need to be taking anti cholesterol medication, when
fish oil could easily solve the problem.

Everybody over 45 doesn’t need to be on a statin, when exercise, the
right foods and fish oil would suffice.

When up to fifty per cent of patients aren’t taking the medicine
doctors recommend, somebody isn’t listening.

Doctors need to listen to their patients, before proposing
solutions. Patients need to tell doctors the truth about what
they’re thinking and doing. When a doctor doesn’t have all the
information he or she needs, the outcome is not going to be the best
it could be.

https://www.favoriteformulas.com?awt_l=GnZNU&awt_m=1bP81HIVCYz2rW

If you’re in a situation where your doctor won’t listen, switch
doctors. (While you still can, before some faceless government
bureaucrat is in charge of your healthcare.)

I’ll be back tomorrow with more.

With my best wishes for your optimum health,

Dr. Bill

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