Prescription Medication Trends in the US
Prescription drug use in the US is at an all-time high ➡️
A new study out of Penn State shows that Americans can expect to take prescription drugs for about half their lives—a little more for women and a little less for men.
Does that bother you?
Some of the medications that are being prescribed more than ever include blood pressure medications, cholesterol-lowering medications, and antidepressants.
For example:
A girl born in the US in 1996 could expect to take antidepressants for 5.55 years of her life, but by 2019, that number jumped to 12.52 years.
This👆is just one of the many sobering statistics from the study.
I am not against medications, but there are often less invasive and more effective ways to support health, and many of the most commonly prescribed meds treat conditions that respond dramatically to lifestyle.
Prevention is truly the best medicine—starting with food, water, movement, and rest.
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Reference
Ho JY. Life Course Patterns of Prescription Drug Use in the United States. Demography. 2023;60(5):1549-1579. [link]