The 3rd Biggest Cause Of Death!
By: Warren Matthews

It will surprise you!

Did you know that if you become ill and you put yourself in the hands of 'mainstream' medical care and need to be admitted to a hospital that the chances of you dying from an unrelated problem are high?

In fact, in the USA, deaths from 'iatrogenic' cause rank # 3 after Heart Diseases and Cancer!

Let me explain what 'iatrogenic' means. This is a term used when a patient dies as a direct result of treatments by a physician, whether it is from misdiagnosis of the ailment or from adverse drug reactions used to treat the illness. (drug reactions are the most common cause).

This article will provide you with some facts which you should be aware of. I am not presenting these facts in order to have a 'shot' at physicians or indeed for that matter, hospitals.

'HEALTH CARE SYSTEM' IS OUT OF CONTROL!

The facts you are about to read are purely symptoms of a system that is largely out of control. Out of control, thanks largely to the overbearing influence that the pharmaceutical industry has on mainstream medicine.

Mainstream medicine has for some decades now placed more emphasis on medical intervention as opposed to primary care, prevention, and helping the body heal itself by natural methods.

The negative results of these policies which can never work are becoming more apparent each year. To determine how serious the problem is you need to consider some statistics. Ironically the most reliable statistics have been published in none other than the JOURNAL of the AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JAMA) Vol 284, No 4, July 26th 2000.

The researcher who wrote the article is Dr Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH, of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.

Now let's review what Dr Starfield has unearthed!

'THE FACTS' Are...

2,000 deaths/year from unnecessary surgery

7,000 deaths/year from medication errors in hospitals

20,000 deaths/year from other errors in hospitals

80,000 deaths/year from nosocomial infections in hospitals

106,000 deaths/year from non-error, adverse effects of medications

These total up to 225,000 deaths per year in the US from iatrogenic causes which ranks these deaths as the # 3 killer.

Well above motor vehicle accidents and violent crime.

One of the most sobering components of these statistics, although I don't find it surprising is that 106,000 of these deaths result from CORRECTLY prescribed medications. In other words the physicians were not to blame. They just administered the drugs as per the manufacturer's recommendations.

MORE DEATHS FROM LEGAL DRUGS THAN FROM ILLICIT ONES

Fascinating isn't it... when you consider that deaths from legal drugs far exceed deaths from illicit drugs and yet these deaths go virtually unnoticed and nobody makes a fuss!

Dr Starfield also warns that these figures only tell one part of the overall story.

1. They only relate to DEATHS from HOSPITALIZED patients.
2. They do NOT include non fatal adverse effects such as disability or discomfort.

Even if you make it through the hospitalization process you are not 'out of the woods'. Consider these further facts. 4% - 18% of patients experience further negative effects in outpatient settings resulting in the following:

• 116 million extra physician visits
• 77 million extra prescriptions
• 17 million emergency department visits
• 8 million hospitalizations
• 3 million long-term admissions
• 199,000 additional deaths
• $77 billion in extra costs

IS THIS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG?

With human nature being as it is you can rest assured that the above 'official' figures are just the 'tip of the iceberg'. I have no doubt that for each 'official' iatrogenic death that there are others which are recorded as 'legitimate' deaths.

As an example ... when a patient dies of a heart attack in hospital whilst being treated for something else its easy enough to dismiss it as 'bad luck' and write it off to the fact that the patient had a bad heart and that they just happened to be in hospital at the time when the heart attack occurred.

Is the hospital or physician going to tell the patient's family that perhaps some of the treatments the patient was having could have precipitated the heart 'event'? In these days of litigation I don't think so... if they can avoid it.

I have no doubt that hospitals are the equal of politicians when it comes to 'cover ups'.

OK, I've said my bit about this problem and I am sure that you have the message, so what's the point of knowing these sad facts?

Avoid falling into the hands of hospitals and the 'health' system, because it can make you sick...OR EVEN KILL YOU! This means that you must be constantly aware of the health demands on your body such as the need to give it correct food, adequate exercise and rest, and of course adequate intakes of essential nutrients.

Liken it to your car... give it poor fuel and neglect the maintenance and it will either run badly or stop altogether.

IT'S NOT NATURAL TO BE ILL

Illness is UNNATURAL and can generally be avoided. The cause of almost all illness is people doing unnatural things to their body, whether it is due to the environment they live in, the food and liquids that they ingest, or living the life of a 'couch potato'. Each person controls their own health OR illness, not their physician or their 'Health Care' provider.

I am sure that you are aware that the average diet is very much lacking in essential nutrients due to the high level of food processing, as well as exposure to toxins such as pesticides.

The lack of these essential nutrients has been shown to 'trigger' off many ailments which can start a cascade effect and lead to serious problems in the future.

The lack of these nutrients can be largely overcome in most people by dietary supplementation. The problem is getting ALL the nutrients into your body in the correct proportion.

It is imperative that you explore your options and consider a professional supplement regimen that can provide you with the essential nutrients missing from the standard diet. A high quality supplement can help to prevent you from becoming an iatrogenic victim.

About The Author Warren Matthews is the Chairman of Xtend Life Natural Products, designer and manufacturer of Total Balance. Total Balance contains over 84 nutrients encased in an enteric coating, which allows you to get the maximum benefit from each ingredient. Total Balance provides the best value for your dollar of any professional health supplement and is unequivically backed by a 100% guarantee. Total Balance can be found at ... http://www.InstantEnergyBoost.com bsb199@juno.com

This article was posted on April 18, 2005

email this page

Return to Nutrition and Supplement Index

Haven't found what you were looking for?
Try this search:

 

Free Email List Reveals health, fitness and wellness tips - secrets and information - delivered directly to your inbox

Email address: First name: