The Four EEEEs Pt 2: Oh, what a tangled web we weave

I know. It doesn’t seem possible, but it is.

In Part 1 of Tangled Web I mentioned you could visit a fast-food restaurant wherein a group of 65-year old people are tucking into cheeseburgers and fries and discover that 67% of them possess five or more types of prescription drugs, 21% have 10 or more and 6% have 15 or more.

I also asked, why are so many seniors taking medications, and shared the following:


Statins, which are used to treat high cholesterol, are the most commonly prescribed drug, with 40% of seniors taking them. Next on the list are ACE inhibitors, which 32% of seniors use to treat heart failure and high blood pressure. (Mar. 20, The Free Press)

In part, the answer seems to be - the Canadian lifestyle is very harmful to human health.

As well, it may be easier to prescribe medications than assist seniors with preventative measures.

But because the taxpayer spent $11.4 billion in 2009 on prescription drugs (a significant chunk of which was spent on seniors), isn’t it time to make a play against the Canadian lifestyle and assist seniors with healthy goals?

How should we proceed? (‘We’ = the Royal We, i.e., government and citizens working together in a cooperative fashion with one mind. Isn’t life cozy?)


["Reduce tax on walking and running shoes?": photo link]

Tax the crap out of crap?

It should be considered.

Raise existing consumption taxes so that people are nudged toward choosing fewer food items. Here’s hoping they select the healthier fruits and vegetables instead of Oreo cookies.

Encourage health practitioners to prescribe healthy lifestyle programs instead of medications to patients (no matter the age) at the first sign they're killing themselves slowly with bad diets and lack of exercise. A discounted membership at the local YMCA would pay dividends to the health care system in the long run, and we do have to think ‘long run’ in health matters.

I’m sure we can come up with other long term solutions but that’s a beginning at any rate.

Anyone wanting to buck the trend (67% of people over 65 with 5 or more prescriptions is a serious trend, isn't it?) should cross certain items off their grocery list right away (cut off cookies and soda pop, just for starters) and begin a 30 - 60 minute walking program, 5 days per week, as soon as I stop typing.

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Are you already walking for your health?

Cutting down on sodie pop and cookies?

Good one!

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The Four EEEEs Pt 1: Oh, what a tangled web we weave

Surely you read this. Surely your jaw dropped.

Surely you at least put down your bottle of prescription medicine for a moment to read the fine details.

A recent headline shouted, Canadian seniors take 5 prescription drugs on average.


Wha...!?

I immediately thought, if this isn’t a story that entangles issues related to the Four EEEEs (Economy, Environment, Education and Entertainment) I don’t know what is.

I read the following:

The Canadian Institute of Health Information study says 67% of people over 65 take five or more types of drugs, 21% take 10 or more and 6% take 15 or more.

Public spending on prescription drugs in 2009 totalled $11.4 billion, a significant chunk of which was spent on seniors, the report says. (Mar. 20, The London Free Press)

Though I’m not 65, so the report obviously didn’t apply to me, I quickly spit out the hotdog smeared in four condiments I happened to be eating. (Usually I add five but we were out of cheddar cheese cubes).

Let’s look at this another way.

Say you walk into a fast-food restaurant and notice a group of 65-year olds tucking into cheeseburgers and fries.

2 out of 3 have 5 or more pill bottles hidden away.

1 in 5 have 10 or more bottles of pills.

And 1 in 16 has a sore shoulder from carrying 15 or more bottles of pills.

Only 1 in 3 of the seniors has four or fewer prescriptions.

I must ask: How many seniors are not taking any prescription drugs? There must obviously be very few.

Why are so many seniors taking medications?

The article says the following:

Statins, which are used to treat high cholesterol, are the most commonly prescribed drug, with 40% of seniors taking them.

Next on the list are ACE inhibitors, which 32% of seniors use to treat heart failure and high blood pressure.

The above raises more questions, doesn’t it?

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Please click here to read Part 2.

How many prescription medications are you taking?

Are there preventative measures that are just as helpful, if not more so, than prescriptive measures?

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