I’ve been blessed throughout my life with good health. I say that not to brag or tempt fate, but rather as a statement of fact.
But even those destined by the good fortune of the genetic roulette wheel to avoid serious or life-threatening diseases at early or middle age are still subject to certain inevitabilities.
And that brings me to today, my first day on Lipitor, the drug that reduces LDL (bad cholesterol).
I put up only a mild protest to my family doctor as we reviewed the lab results. “But can’t I control this with diet and exercise?” I got a casual shrug, a prescription and a brief tutorial on the link between family history and heart disease.
So, the payback for a healthy 0-to-60 years finally arrives.
Many of you are saying, “welcome to the club.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 74 million adults in this country—that’s 32 percent of the adult population—have bad cholesterol issues, and just one in three of those adults has the condition under control.
But we’re actually doing better. The high cholesterol rates are declining because of improved treatment with drugs like Lipitor and Crestor. I understand that Lipitor has side effects such as upset stomach, muscle and joint pain, but they don’t seem too bad when weighed against an increased risk of heart attack.
That’s the thing about healthcare; in many instances it’s about options rather than a cure.
If I’m like most Americans, Lipitor is just the start for me.
The pharmaceutical industry reports that while seniors make up just over 13 percent of the population, they take 40 percent of all prescription drugs. “On average, individuals 65 to 69 years old take nearly 14 prescriptions per year; individuals 80 to 84 take an average of 18 prescriptions per year.”
Add up all the drugs taken by the entire population and you get a huge number.
The Institute for Healthcare Informatics reports that we spent $374 billion on medicine in 2014, and filled 4.3 billion prescriptions. That’s up 13 percent from the previous year. And that’s before we count over-the-counter drugs.
One can argue that we’re over-medicated. But taking too many pills is something someone else does, while my scripts are essential, life-saving medications, right?
I still consider myself fortunate, and as time passes I’ll try hard not to be that guy whose conversation starter is, “So, how are your cholesterol numbers?” And compared with those of you with serious health problems, this is nothing.
It’s not so much the Lipitor itself but the inevitability of aging that’s a tough pill to swallow.