He probably is still studying law then:pepper2:

I do think that diet and exercise play a vital role in your health. I wouldn't be much of a nurse if I didn't think that way. And yes sometimes these conditions can be corrected by this alone (especially when they are accompanied by a large weight loss - just watch Biggest Loser). But there are many people who have unexplained high BP or heart arrhythmia that would die (or die younger) without medications.

Well said Gracie...

Well said GG and Russ Boston.

When I first moved to the Villages my neighbors said the same thing to me when I told them I didn't take any medications. They said, "wait 'til you get older." I was only about 60 or 61. That was so frustrating because I knew I was doing the right thing, diet wise. Today I'm 71 and still don't need medication. But can I tell them I was right? No, they have all passed away.

It may not be the total answer for various reasons. Most people won't do it
so how can it be the total answer, or even a partial answer?

If you have to because you reject dietary measures, well, then I guess you have to take medication.

I guess you are speaking for everyone because you have presumably met a lot of people. And if they all knew what was best, most likely everyone else does too. And that's how you know what's best. Right?

Nicely said, I can only add

“We should focus on diet, not drugs.”

Thanks for your insight on this topic. It doesn't match up with the information that was given at the first USF lecture. Perhaps it's because people who get admitted to the hospital have greater health issues than the average person who doesn't need hospitalization.


My opinion: I see a progression that starts with the standard American diet. Poor diet, like smoking, can take several decades to bring about poor health. So, when some health issue developes, people don't see it as a failure on their part because all they did was eat the standard diet like everyone else. So why change anything? Most people continue eating the same diet.

With the same diet, it's only a matter of time before another drug gets added for something else. At age 65, 9 out of 10 people take at least one medication. By around 70 it might be 2. By age 75 the average is 3 to 4 medications, and 5 or more is not uncommon.

It's not unlike smoking, drinking or gambling addiction, in that it starts with one and then progresses (i.e., one cigarette, one drink or one gamble). So when we hear about 10 to 15 medications, it's just further evidence of the future direction for the average drug taking senior.

Let's face it. Some people are just self destructive. Whether its food, alcohol, or cigarettes. Thay know it's all bad, BUT ;;;:loco:

Thanks, you made me laugh with the Loco icon at the end. :wave:

Remember I deal with locals as well as Villagers. And many patients in the hospital are not there for the first time.

Dr. kickback
 

A common problem in illegal drug and device marketing cases is doctors’ willingness to delude themselves into thinking that cash, lucrative trips and other kickbacks do not affect them, said Mr. Morris, the chief counsel.

“Somehow physicians think they’re different from the rest of us,” Mr. Morris said. “But money works on them just like everybody else.”

Mr. Sullivan, the United States attorney, said officials hoped to send a strong message to doctors. “I have been shocked at what appears to be willful blindness by folks in the physician community to the criminal conduct that corrupts the patient-physician relationship,” he said

Source NY Times full article

A rather simple fix was/is employed by the medical group I worked for. Pharmaceutical reps had no access to the providers directly. They met with the chief pharmacists at the medical centers. A pharmacy board consisting of pharmacists and physicians met regionally to discuss each medication. Only after evaluation of the cost/benefit/effectiveness/safety of a med could it be added to our formulary. To be added, a med had to have demonstrated in independent studies or in-house trials that there were significant advantages over one already in use.

The pharmacy department also controlled samples, and distributed them to the appropriate departments as needed.

Our members would often ask for particular meds they saw advertised on TV. If there was a compelling advantage/reason for a non-formulary med for that particular patient, it would be prescribed. But the pharmacy tracked non-formulary requests and they were reviewed for appropriateness.

Our providers were prohibited from accepting gifts from pharmaceutical companies. If they were to speak at meetings about a particular medication or procedure, they were only allowed to accept a small honorarium in addition to actual expenses as they were still receiving their regular salary while away. This also had to be reported to the medical group and was tracked.

When people come back again and again, I assume it's often because of end-of-life situations like advanced lung cancer or emphysema. Is that correct?
And do they come mostly from nursing homes?

I can think of a lot of reasons why the same people would return to the hospital again and again. Diabetic episodes. Brain bleeds. Kidney stones. All of those have caused repeated hospitalizations for friends.
Chronic inflammatory colitis... alcoholism causes bleeding. Addiction to prescription drugs. Falls. Infectious diseases. People over the age of 55 have a high incidence of pneumonia.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0115/p257.html

That link was 12 years old, here's one a bit more recent.

Not sure why you included kidney stones?

Hospitals don't do much for them and they occur in younger adults as well.

Cardiac is number one.