What About Blood Pressure Drugs?

We’ve  all heard  it enough––you will die from a heart attack or stroke if you don’t keep your blood pressure down, with drugs if necessary. To “save lives” (or for the sake of selling more drugs), “experts,” have ratcheted down the so-called normal blood pressure to 110/70. As if this weren’t enough, they are calling for blood pressure screening of kids–-starting at age three!!!
   And for what? So everyone can be “saved” and all on drugs? The truth is a whole lot more sobering. A study  published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, May  2003, took a hard look at drug therapy vs. placebo in the treatment of blood pressure. In 19 trials lasting many years, it was discovered that 1,453 people in the placebo group died, while 1,303 people in the drug-treated group died. 

And for what? So everyone can be “saved” and all on drugs? The truth is a whole lot more sobering. A study  published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, May  2003, took a hard look at drug therapy vs. placebo in the treatment of blood pressure. In 19 trials lasting many years, it was discovered that 1,453 people in the placebo group died, while 1,303 people in the drug-treated group died.

This kind of makes you think that 150 people were “saved” and lived an additional 30 years by taking drugs every day. That wouldn’t be too bad. This is what this study implies, but the truth is that no one was actually saved. Rather their deaths were delayed by a maximum of one year!

The startling truth from this study reveals that the average patient taking blood pressure drugs daily for 30 years will gain an additional 9 days of life.! That certainly will change your mind about the hugely inflated claims made by manufacturers of heart and blood pressure drugs. At a cost of almost $1,000.00 a year (1.5 million per year for the study groups) with side effects that often turn heat patients into invalids, it would  not be intellectually dishonest to call this kind of medical care a complete waste of time and money.

The Naked Truth                                                                               

    If  well-meaning doctors presented the real facts to patients, millions of people would kick the daily drug  habit.

Scenario

You find out from your doctor that your blood pressure is high. He or she tells you that you could eat better, exercise, and even (dare I say?)  Take some supplements. He or she could then recommend that you go on one or more heart drugs for the rest of your life–drugs that could render you impotent, eliminate energy, cause cardiac arrhythmias, or even heart or kidney failure. They would cost you about $100.00 monthly, would lower your blood pressure numbers, and over the next 30 years would give you (on average) an extra 9 days of life.

This scenario  would  be  intellectually  honest. I  think  we  can  all  agree  that  the  pharmaceutical industry  is  not  about to  stand  for  this.  So the  charade  continues  in  the  guise  of "science."  But  what the  heck,   it  keeps   the  economy  rolling,   and   it insures  job security   for  researchers  and  clinicians like  myself,  Malcolm   Kendrick,  MD.  (some  of. whose   material   I   have  used  in   this article).   and thousands  of others.  Special   thanks  to   Dr.   Kendrick.  a  GP  and  cholesterol  skeptic.  Dr.  Kendrick practices in  a town  outside of Manchester, UK.
Health Alert volume 21 issue 11 Dr Bruce West MD

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