Hippocrates, the father of medicine, may be rolling over in his grave. Why? He preached: 鈥淔irst, do no harm.鈥� I recently read a report in the Journal of Molecular Medicine called Death by Medicine. It鈥檚 the most damning medical report card ever issued. It claims huge numbers of patients are being injured and killed by conventional medicine. There鈥檚 also a big surprise there.
A huge, meticulous study concluded that every year in the U.S, conventional medicine kills 800,000 patients. Compare this figure with the 700,000 that die of heart disease and 500,000 from cancer.
The report claims that 7.5 million medical and surgical procedures are unnecessary. Another 8.9 million patients are admitted needlessly to hospital and 2.2 million patients suffer adverse reactions to prescription drugs. The cost of this treatment? About $282 billion US.
It鈥檚 appalling that, every year, 20 million people are treated with antibiotics for viral infections. But viral infections are not affected by antibiotics, only infections caused by bacteria.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽
The survey authors say past studies have concentrated on individual medical care rather than the big picture. They show that during a 10-year period,
50 per cent of the U.S. population will receive unnecessary medical care. During this time, medical care will kill 7.8 million people. This is more than all the casualties from all the wars fought by the U.S. in its entire history.聽 聽
The Journal of the American Medical Association adds that one million patients are injured annually in the U.S and that 280,000 die due to these injuries.
Compare this with the 45,000 killed in car accidents.
Another prestigious publication, The New England Journal of Medicine, states that one in four patients admitted to hospital suffers a medical error. The majority of these mistakes involve drugs for depression, painkillers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular drugs.
At this point, I wouldn鈥檛 blame readers asking: 鈥淲hat the hell is going on? Isn鈥檛 medicine supposed to save lives, not make it the No. 1 killer?鈥� So why is it happening? Some problems are due to tired doctors and nurses. Or the failure to use only specially trained doctors in
intensive-care units. Or because doctors and hospitals fail to report complications for fear of litigation. The list is as long as your arm.
The authors conclude with a shocking indictment that conventional medical treatment is the main cause of death in the United States. In fact, they believe most of the figures are under-reported and the death toll is equal to six jumbo jets crashing every day in the U.S.
The survey covers problems that I have reported for years. That young children taking Ritalin are being programmed for a life on drugs. That big pharma has spent $2.5 billion聽 claiming it鈥檚 educating the public, while increasing its own bottom line. That the public is misled and programmed to illness by nightly TV diagnoses.
Dr. John Goffman, an expert on radiation, warns that, in future, 75 per cent of cancers will be the result of excessive radiation from X-rays, CT scans, mammography and fluoroscopy. He reports that an X-ray of the chest results in 2MREM of radiation. But an angiogram to detect coronary disease results in 460 to 1580 MREM.
Since this report is devastating, what should medical consumers do to protect themselves? Look on it as a big wakeup call, get smart and don鈥檛 become one of these statistics. Never believe that even minor surgery is risk free. If hospitalized, understand that the sooner you leave, the safer you will be. Be extremely cautious about radiation. Don鈥檛 take a painkiller for every ache and pain. There鈥檚 no free lunch with medication. 鈥淧illitis鈥� is killing people.
Above all else, take the least number of prescription drugs as they all have unintended consequences. Remember what I have stressed so often in my columns: It鈥檚 prudent to try natural remedies first before prescription medication. Why?聽 Because there are no dead bodies due to natural remedies. 聽
So what is the big surprise? The report was published in 2005. Today, we have more drugs, greater exposure to radiation, more invasive procedures, still questionable use of antibiotics. Will we ever learn?聽
