Preventive Medicine

Nothing in the world of medicine surprises me anymore since January 2020.   As I see it, the rules have changed as big medicine makes inroads to convincing more of us that chemicals, be they injectable or swallowed, provide the answers to what may one day ail us.  It’s all about prevention.

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, entitled Polypill with or without Aspirin in Persons Without Cardiovascular Diseases, teaches our brightest and best of the importance of prescribing (this is the key word) preventive medicine.  All the doctor must do is write a prescription for this brand new “wonderpill,” containing not one, but three blood pressure medications, and a statin medication.  This combo, when also taking an aspirin, was called “a transformational approach to preventing heart disease.”  As you might imagine, many of the authors had strong ties to drug manufacturers.    Shocking, I know.  The paper stated, “we could save millions of people…”  I’ve always loved medical research papers using words like “might,” “may,” or “could.”  It seems as though medical statisticians and physicians have figured out that millions of people “might” die without this highly promoted “polypill.”  Of course, they may not die without it, but the article doesn’t mention that.

I am 71 years old and have a dear father who had a pacemaker and was on many medications for heart problems. According to medical statisticians, because of my father’s heart problems and my age, I’m at a high risk for heart disease.  Would I take a polypill?  No.

How do you define “preventive medicine?”

MY DEFINITION OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE: Four to five days weekly, I physically work out hard and perspire for 22-30 minutes.  I do this outside in the sunshine as often as I can.  I take no medications, but I do take several nutritional supplements daily.  Most importantly, I eat a diet that I believe minimizes the risk of any disease.  I believe and I teach that a multifaceted health approach like mine, although much harder than swallowing a polypill, enables me to govern my own health.  If I continuously eat sugar or drink alcohol, I’d expect symptoms, so I just don’t do that.  But with a polypill, I’d likely hush those, the overt symptoms that I might otherwise experience, perhaps until they became full blown diseases. 

THEIR DEFINITION OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE: To these authors and most doctors, a flu shot, taking medications daily, routine screened for diseases, eating whole grains and moderate drinking (5.6 gallons of beer monthly) is preventive medicine.

 We live until we die, so live well my friends, choose your prevention wisely! 

Other Articles by Doug

Your Health, Your Choice

Trust but Verify