Clipping Board » Medical Myths ─ The truth about healthcare is often different from what you intuitively think.
According to a report by The Times on the 11th, a special issue of an authoritative medical journal claims that pharmaceutical companies systematically create diseases to sell more products, turning healthy people into patients and putting many at risk.
A series of articles published in the open-access journal "PLoS Medicine" suggest that the pharmaceutical industry's practice of "disease mongering" is aimed at profiting by promoting non-existent diseases and exaggerating minor ailments.
This special issue, edited by David Henry of the University of Newcastle, Australia, and Australian journalist Ray Moynihan, reports on various conditions such as female sexual dysfunction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and "restless legs syndrome," which have been widely promoted by pharmaceutical companies to sell more drugs.
Other minor issues, which are actually normal parts of life, such as menopause, are increasingly being "medicalized," requiring drug treatment. Risk factors such as cholesterol levels or osteoporosis are also being treated as diseases.
They stated: "Disease mongering turns healthy people into patients, wastes precious resources, and causes drug-induced harm. Driven by marketing strategies, disease mongering poses a global challenge to those interested in public health and thus requires a global response."
The authors suggest that doctors, patients, and support groups should be vigilant against such tactics by pharmaceutical companies and that more research is needed on how to change the way diseases are described. This practice of inventing diseases not only wastes resources but also turns healthy people into patients.
The article points out that disease awareness campaigns are often funded by pharmaceutical companies and "are often aimed at selling drugs rather than preventing disease or protecting health."
The special issue cites cases including male and female sexual functions. One paper claims that female sexual dysfunction has been exaggerated to open up new drug markets, such as Viagra for treating erectile dysfunction, which also emphasizes the drug's ability to enhance the sexual performance of healthy men.
Richard Ley, a spokesperson for the UK's Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, denied the allegations, pointing out that the UK has strict codes to prevent disease mongering. He said that many of the authors' criticisms are directed at countries like the United States, where drugs can be advertised directly to patients.
He said: "The best protection is for doctors to know the functions of products and the medical history of patients, and then decide what to prescribe."
Source: http://www. takungpao. com/ news/ 06/ 04/ 12/ YM- 551114. htm
Pharma Companies Invent Diseases for Profit
A series of articles published in the open-access journal "PLoS Medicine" suggest that the pharmaceutical industry's practice of "disease mongering" is aimed at profiting by promoting non-existent diseases and exaggerating minor ailments.
This special issue, edited by David Henry of the University of Newcastle, Australia, and Australian journalist Ray Moynihan, reports on various conditions such as female sexual dysfunction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and "restless legs syndrome," which have been widely promoted by pharmaceutical companies to sell more drugs.
Other minor issues, which are actually normal parts of life, such as menopause, are increasingly being "medicalized," requiring drug treatment. Risk factors such as cholesterol levels or osteoporosis are also being treated as diseases.
They stated: "Disease mongering turns healthy people into patients, wastes precious resources, and causes drug-induced harm. Driven by marketing strategies, disease mongering poses a global challenge to those interested in public health and thus requires a global response."
The authors suggest that doctors, patients, and support groups should be vigilant against such tactics by pharmaceutical companies and that more research is needed on how to change the way diseases are described. This practice of inventing diseases not only wastes resources but also turns healthy people into patients.
The article points out that disease awareness campaigns are often funded by pharmaceutical companies and "are often aimed at selling drugs rather than preventing disease or protecting health."
The special issue cites cases including male and female sexual functions. One paper claims that female sexual dysfunction has been exaggerated to open up new drug markets, such as Viagra for treating erectile dysfunction, which also emphasizes the drug's ability to enhance the sexual performance of healthy men.
Richard Ley, a spokesperson for the UK's Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, denied the allegations, pointing out that the UK has strict codes to prevent disease mongering. He said that many of the authors' criticisms are directed at countries like the United States, where drugs can be advertised directly to patients.
He said: "The best protection is for doctors to know the functions of products and the medical history of patients, and then decide what to prescribe."
Source: http://www. takungpao. com/ news/ 06/ 04/ 12/ YM- 551114. htm
2006/06/13 03:08