Americans are living longer than ever, according to a report released by National Centre for Health Statistics and CDC. Life expectancy in the United States is at all time high and is at around 78 years. U.S is in the 41st place in life expectancy according to U.S. Census Bureau. Whites (78.3 years) are living longer than blacks (73.2 years). Andorra is in the 1st place at 83.5 years followed by Japan, Macau, Italy, San Marino and Singapore. Americans should aim to cross 80 year mark in life expectancy. Decline in American deaths is mainly due to availability better treatment options for the leading causes of death – Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke. U.S death rate is 8000 per 1 million people. Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease are causing more deaths than previous years mainly due to increase in old age population. Decrease in deaths is mainly due to preventive measures like screening, changing lifestyle habits and better diagnosis. Life expectancy rates: In 1955, it was around 70 years and it rose to 75.8 years by 1995. Infant death rates are at 6.79 per 1,000 births and are mainly due to birth defects, SIDS and complications from preterm birth and low birth weight. Rise in chronic diseases is a serious concern and mainly due to fast foods and lack of sufficient exercise. More people are living with Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Obesity than ever. The country with the lowest life expectancy in the world is Zimbabwe (36 years). … [Read more...]
Adverse drug reactions are rising in America
3-fold rise in adverse drug reactions since the FDA began a new reporting system in 1998. Pain killers and immunomodulators are causing more adverse drug reactions. 20% of drugs accounted for 87.1% of adverse effects. These findings are reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Moore and his colleagues analyzed the entire serious adverse drug reactions submitted to the FDA through its Adverse Event Reporting System, commonly known as MedWatch reports. Adverse events are those defined as resulting in death, a birth defect, disability, hospitalization or requiring intervention to prevent harm. The number of such events grew from 34,966 in 1998 to 89,842 in 2005. During the same period, the number of deaths rose from 5,519 to 15,105. From 1998 to 2005, the number of prescriptions written each year grew by 25%. Women were involved in 55.5% of the events. A disproportionate share occurred among the elderly -- a full third of events in a group that accounts for 12.6% of the population. Children group is surprisingly reporting fewer drug side effects compared to adults. Top 6 drugs causing deaths: Oxycontin, Fentanyl, morphine, acetaminophen and methadone are the pain killers. The sixth was the antipsychotic drug Clozapine. Appearance of Acetaminophen (over the counter drug) in the list is a concern. Top drugs causing the most non-fatal adverse events: Estrogens, Insulin, interferon beta, Paroxetine, Clozapine, Oxycontin, warfarin and Fentanyl. Paroxetine is an antidepressant, interferon beta is used to treat multiple sclerosis and cancer, and warfarin is an anti-clotting agent. Appearance of Insulin in the list is a serious concern. The study found the two top drugs listed in … [Read more...]
