Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become thinner, more porous and break more easily. Osteopenia is different from osteoporosis — it is a slight thinning of bones that occurs naturally as women get older and typically doesn’t result in disabling bone breaks.

Osteopenia is a condition that only recently started to be thought of as a problem that required treatment. Until the early 1990’s, only a handful of people had even heard of the word. But osteopenia has transformed from a rarely heard word into a problem that millions of women swallow pills to treat.

The term “osteopenia” was never originally meant to be considered as a disease — it was a research category used mostly because some thought it might be useful for public health researchers who like clear categories for their studies.

But in 1995, a man named Jeremy Allen was approached by the drug company Merck. The pharmaceutical giant had just released a new osteoporosis drug called Fosamax. Since osteoporosis is a serious problem that affects millions of women, the potential market for Fosamax was enormous. But the drug wasn’t selling well.

Allen persuaded Merck to establish a nonprofit called the Bone Measurement Institute. On its board were six of the most respected osteoporosis researchers in the country.

But the institute itself had a rather slim staff: Allen was the only employee.

In 1997 the institute and several other interested organizations successfully lobbied to pass the Bone Mass Measurement Act, a piece of legislation that changed Medicare reimbursement rules to cover bone scans. More and more women got bone density tests (at Merck’s urging), and the very existence of the word “osteopenia” on a medical report had a profound effect.

Millions of women were worried by the diagnosis. And when clinicians saw the word ‘osteopenia’ on a report, they assumed it was a disease. Merck did not disabuse them of the notion.

There are no long-term studies that look at what happens to women with osteopenia who start Fosamax in their 50’s and continue treatment long-term in the hopes of preventing old-age fractures. And none are planned.

Sources:  NPR | WHO FRAX

Americans spent over $300 billion on prescription drugs in 2010, according to a recent report from consulting firm IMS Health. Although this figure is a 2.3 percent reduction from last year, it’s still a huge portion of the U.S. economy to be spending on prescription medications, many of which are ineffective at best and extremely dangerous at worst.

According to Reuters, the decline in spending was due in part to greater use of generic medications and few new therapies introduced in 2010. Visits to doctors’ offices also declined last year, as did the number of patients seeking new treatment for chronic illnesses. Because of a slow economy, high unemployment rates, and the loss of insurance coverage, Americans are forced to be more careful when it comes to spending money on healthcare.

Figures also indicated that more Americans are dependent on government assistance programs to help pay for medications. Thirty percent of all prescriptions in 2010 were filled through Medicaid or a Medicare Part D plan.

Although many Americans face economic struggles and limited resources, we are still investing a huge sum into a pharmaceutical industry that continues to fail us. Cancer treatments topped the list in 2010, representing $22.3 billion dollars, and yet chemotherapy offers only a 12 percent remission rate among patients seen at the early stages of illness. Chemotherapy, like most drug-based treatment programs, fails to address the underlying causes of illness and simply introduces more toxins into the patient’s body.

Meanwhile, nutrition-based cancer treatment plans — such as Gerson Therapy, which has been shown to successfully treat 42 percent of patients — continue to be outlawed in America.

Despite all the funds pouring into the pharmaceutical industry, Americans aren’t getting any healthier. Last fall, the CDC reported that nearly half of all Americans use prescription medications on a regular basis, and more than one in ten take five or more prescription drugs. The 2010 President’s Caner Panel reports that approximately 41 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.

The healthiest people are those who don’t rely on pharmaceuticals to fix their health problems, but take preventive measures to strengthen their immune systems through a healthy diet and exercise, and avoid exposure to GMOs, pesticides, food additives, and other toxins that can cause cancer and other serious health problems.

Source: NaturalNews

In this video, the announcer whips up a batch of flu vaccine in a blender. Yes, it’s very funny, but it’s also very revealing and thought provoking!

Eye on the Flu Shot

Still thinking of getting a flue shot?

The global market for pharmaceuticals was worth more than $693 billion in 2007. It is expected to increase to over $737 billion in 2008 and will top $1.0 trillion in 2013.

The market is divided into branded prescription drugs, generic prescription drugs and over-the-counter products. Branded prescription drugs have the largest share of the market, with more than $525 billion in sales during 2007.

The second largest segment, generic prescription drugs, will experience the highest growth rate over the next few years. It was worth $78.5 billion in 2007 and will nearly double, to almost $152 billion, by the end of 2013.

Source:  PharmaLive.com