By: Dr. Pierre Ghassibi
Greetings,
This topic o widening disease definitions is dear to me, but it may generate some objections, more so from companies that make money from selling us medications and supplements, but also from doctors and nurses who have been brainwashed by these companies.
Yet, the ideas are not only mine.
Let me put it my way: none of us is perfect physically or mentally.
We all have at least a little depression, a little anxiety, some joint pains, some dyslexia, some esophageal reflux, maybe some cholesterol, some occasional high blood pressure, some frequent chronic fatigue, some insomnia, some irritable bowel and some sleep apnea with snoring.
The issue here is that we are calling this little of any of these conditions a disease that needs treatment and we are criticizing doctors for not diagnosing it and not treating it.
We are all affected subconsciously by advertisements and believe what the pharmaceutical companies tell us. We know too well now that some companies are relying on false statistics and incomplete studies to very strongly market their products.
Doctors and patients are falling victims. But how can we tell who’s right and who’s not telling the whole truth?
Add to this corruption. Practicing doctors, nurses, dieticians, are not the ones doing the studies and rely on information gathered elsewhere. Of course, the FDA helps screen out incorrect claims, but the FDA is not perfect and often just as gullible.
If the surveys for a number of symptoms and conditions are correct, then most adults need to be on sleep apnea machines, blood pressure meds, antidepressants, vitamins and supplements. Experience has not supported this. Add to this the statistical term
“The number needed to treat “, or NNT. As an example, the 2012 and 2016 guidelines give us a NNT of 400 for statins, which means that we have to treat 400 people who are at low risk to prevent one bad cardiac event. Counterbalance this with the side effects.
Yes, someone might still choose to take a statin medication, but we doctors and nurses have to give that person the honest statistics.
I do not think that it is easy for people to find good answers to these difficult questions. We ought at least to courageously ask our doctors for the facts. I had patients who knew more than me about their condition because they did their research.
I wish the FDA made this research for us a little bit more obvious and more easily available.
P. Ghassibi, MD
ghassibi@hotmail.com