undefined | Better HN

0 pointsBender11mo ago0 comments

The actual issue is that our business culture is antithetical to a healthy society.

I agree with the unhealthy society and your statement got me thinking. In regards to health what happens when global trade is shut down and a country can not make it's own pharmaceuticals for example? About 64% of people in the US over age 18 are on prescription drugs. Some of those drugs have really dangerous rebound effects if one suddenly stops taking them. Some of those effects can be deadly, especially blood pressure drugs. Most of those drugs come from China, some from India. How quickly can each country start manufacturing and distributing it's own prescription drugs? Would that cause a quick adjustment to the culture or is that not enough?

0 comments

throwaway203711mo ago

To clarify, I just Googled for: what percent of american adults are on prescription drugs?

I got back from "AI Overview": Approximately 64.8% of adults in the United States report taking prescription medication at some point in the past 12 months. This figure is based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The key phrase here is "at some point". I guess a huge amount of it is a very short 1-3 week dose of antibiotics.

LinuxBender11mo ago

I can invoke the powers of Google as well. Let's ask it how many Americans are on blood pressure drugs.

"Approximately 51.2% of Americans with hypertension (high blood pressure) are currently taking medication to lower their blood pressure."

That is not a temporary thing. Most of those people will be on drugs the rest of their unnatural lives. So when the availability of said drugs is gone, 51.2% of Americans will go into full rebound and their BP will spike for several days to weeks. Their risk of stroke and heart attack will go off the charts as any ER doctor can attest to. What should we do for those poor souls?

citrusybread11mo ago

that's 51.2% of Americans with Hypertension, not 51.2% of Americans at large.

CDC says:

    Percent of people using at least one prescription drug in the past 30 days: 49.9% (2017-March 2020)
    Percent of people using three or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days: 24.7% (2017-March 2020)
    Percent of persons using five or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days: 13.5% (2017-March 2020)

Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Published by: Health, United States. Table RxUse and NCHS Data Query System, Prescription Medication Use Tables One or more, Three or more, Five or more.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm

It is coincidentally close to 51.2%, but not the same statement.

sigwinch11mo ago

According to Brookings, 80% of drugs are imported.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/pharmaceutical-tariffs-ho...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse