by John McKiernan
(NaturalNews) As our nation continues to consume disease-causing, highly processed, genetically modified foods loaded with trans-fats, sodium and sugar, the health consequences become more prevalent and harder to ignore. For the pharmaceutical industry though, this couldn?t be better news. The ill heath of our country is setting up Big Pharma for some of the most profitable years in its existence.
With dozens of drug choices for every possible chronic illness, the industry is poised to make billions of dollars as our nation?s health continues to decline. The most ironic part of it all is that the overwhelming majority of the drugs pushed by Big Pharma are designed to treat diseases that can be corrected by simple lifestyle choices like proper diet and exercise.
Type II diabetes
The Standard & Poor?s rating firm reports companies with strong diabetes portfolios stand to make substantial revenue gains over the next 20 years. It is estimated that over 280 million people will be diagnosed with diabetes over the next 20 years, which will provide a $23 billion boost to the global diabetes market over the next six years. The pharmaceutical giants expected to make off with the lions share include Merck, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb as well as the smaller Novo Nordisk AS who is already the leader in diabetes drugs. Novo is currently a midsized player but the epidemic is expected to push the company into the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies.
Heart disease
A study done by the American Heart Association estimates that by 2030, over 40 percent of U.S. adults will have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke among others. The study is assuming there are no changes in policy nor in lifestyle across the general public. The direct healthcare costs for drugs, treatments and surgery will be about three times what it is today. When you factor in loss of productivity due to illness, heart disease is expected to cost the U.S. upwards of one trillion dollars a year. It?s not hard to guess where most of that money will be going. Currently, the best selling pharmaceuticals on the market are statins. The top two prescription drugs in America are Lipitor by Pfizer and Plavix by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Both are designed to lower cholesterol and prevent blood clots to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
CVD and diabetes go hand-in-hand
Not surprisingly, there is a strong link between CVD and type II diabetes. The AHA says ?Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes.? Many of the same lifestyle choices greatly increase the risk for both diseases. Risk factors include smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity and poor diet. According to the AHA, ?heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 causes of death and disability among people with type II diabetes. In fact, at least 65 percent of people with diabetes die from some form of heart disease or stroke.? It?s hard to ignore so many alarming facts, yet it seems that?s exactly what most of our country is doing while at the same time making Big Pharma very rich.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1369125/
http://blogs.marketwatch.com
http://www.jonbarron.org/heart-health/cardiovascular-disease-AHA
http://circ.ahajournals.org
http://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.heart.org
About the author:
John Mckiernan is a health and fitness writer. He is the owner of Supplement Helper where he writes supplement reviews and more. He also manages CNA Info, a small blog aimed at answering questions for anyone interested in CNA work.
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