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BY MEGAN WILLIAMS
A lot can be learned about America's health problems by looking in its medicine cabinet.
A list of the 10 most commonly prescribed drugs in 2007, published by Drug Topics magazine, reveals much about the way Americans' lifestyles and genes affect their health.
Five of the most frequently prescribed drugs treat heart problems, according to the list, compiled by Verispan, a provider of patient data.
Two drugs in the top 10 are antibiotics, while others treat conditions including thyroid disorder, pain and anxiety.
The list indicates a shift from the days when infectious diseases--treated by antibiotics--were the main cause of death to an era when lifestyle-related conditions--caused by things like poor diets--are more common.
Despite concerns about abuse and addiction, hydrocodone
"It's effective," Adams said. "It's written a lot for injuries, headaches, everything in between."
The painkiller is found in drugs such as Vicodin and Lorcet.
Goolrick's pharmacist Steve May said prescriptions for hydrocodone, an opiate, come from emergency rooms more often than from other doctors' offices.
Although hydrocodone can be a strong narcotic, it is typically mixed with acetaminophen to vary and minimize its strength.
If used for a short period of time, habit formation is usually not a problem. But extended use of hydrocodone can lead to dependency.
"Hydrocodone diversion and abuse has been escalating in recent years," the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor, is used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. It is also often prescribed to prevent a second heart attack.
It is the first of five prescriptions in the top 10 related to cardiovascular health. All five are generic drugs, which tend
Because of their lower cost, "It's a little heartening that these five generic drugs are in the top 10," said Dr. Robert Vranian,
Heart problems can't be solved completely with medication, doctors say. Lifestyle is a big factor.
"Obesity is on the rise," said Adams, the family practitioner. "Overall, we have a more sedentary lifestyle."
The consequences are evident not just in prescription records, but in death statistics. Forty to 50 percent of Americans will die of cardiovascular disease, Vranian said.
Of the top 10 drugs, Lipitor is the only brand-name drug to make the list.
Lipitor is used to treat high cholesterol by reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood, which lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.
Its popularity despite its higher cost--generics are cheaper--comes from both aggressive marketing and its track record.
"Strong studies show a dramatic reduction in [the risk of] a second heart attack and death," Vranian said. "It's got the strongest data."
Amoxicillin is an antibiotic in the penicillin family. For people not allergic to this family of drugs, it is the most widely prescribed antibiotic, effective at treating things like strep throat, ear infections and common bacterial infections.
It is most popular with children, according to Adams, because it's more easily ingested and kept down than other antibiotics. Amoxicillin is usually taken for seven to 10 days.
Adams and May predict amoxicillin will remain popular because of its good track record, despite the increasing popularity of azithromycin, a five-day antibiotic that is No. 7 on this list.
Thyroid disorders afflict 27 million people, said Dr. Mark McClanahan, a thyroid specialist in Fredericksburg. This drug treats people with an underactive thyroid.
The thyroid gland affects a person's metabolic rate, which affects the body's ability to burn calories. Untreated, low thyroid activity can cause fatigue, weight gain, a rise in cholesterol, an increased risk of heart disease and depression.
Levothyroxine works by replacing a hormone that a normally functioning thyroid produces enough of on its own.
Autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) is the most common cause of an underactive thyroid. This condition is hereditary and not related to lifestyle.
Known as HCT, this drug is a diuretic, which in low doses lowers blood pressure. It also helps treat blood vessel disease. Doctors say it is most effective when patients improve their diets and exercise habits along with taking the medicine.
HCT works by reducing the swelling of blood vessels, said Vranian, the local cardiologist. When used with Lisinopril (No. 2 on the list), it enhances the results by 50 to 60 percent.
"It does a reasonably good job of lowering blood pressure," Vranian said.
Because it has been around for several decades, it's valued for its consistency in treating high blood pressure.
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To see a list of the 100 --Drug Topics/Verispan |
| Commonly known as a Z-pack, this antibiotic has become popular in the last few years. Between 2006 and 2007, the number of prescriptions written for it rose 25.6 percent.
The convenience of the five-day dosage in pill form is the cause of its recent upswing in popularity, according to Adams and May. Although azithromycin and amoxicillin do the same job--fight bacteria--they are derived from different families of drugs and therefore fight bacteria in different ways. Atenolol is a beta blocker, which helps lower blood pressure. It is often prescribed to people who have had a heart attack to prevent a second one. It is the only prescription drug on the list to have decreased in the number of times it was prescribed in the past year--a drop of 1.4 percent. "It's the most-used beta blocker in the world and the least effective," said Vranian, the cardiologist. It's the least effective, Vranian explained, because it is often prescribed by physicians as a once daily medication when it should be taken twice daily. Atenolol is effective for 18 hours when taken once daily. So for six hours, usually in the early mornings when people need it most, they're not getting it, Vranian said. Heart attacks often strike in the morning, when blood pressure rises, studies have shown. Used to lower cholesterol, this prescription drug saw a 215.6 percent increase in popularity from last year. This significant increase is because it has gone generic, making it cheaper. (It's brand names include Zocor.) "It's one of those drugs where if you don't have insurance, it can be really expensive [in its brand-name form]," Adams said. "Now, it's a lot cheaper." Like Lipitor, simvastatin is a "statin" drug and essentially does the same thing: lowers the lipid profile of non-HDL cholesterol. High cholesterol can lead to arteriosclerosis, which can lead Also known by its brand names Xanax and Niravam, alprazolam It belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepines that slow down the movement of chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced. This results in a reduction in anxiety. Alprazolam is used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders and anxiety caused by depression. Megan Williams: 540/374-5000, |
117,200,000 1. Hydrocodone 61,704,000 2. Lisinopril 55,122,000 3. Lipitor 52, 987,000 4. Amoxicillin 49,677,000 5. Levothyroxine 45,777,000 6. Hydrochlorothiazide 45,279,000 7. Azithromycin 42,180,000 8. Atenolol 41,496,000 9. Simvastatin 40,914,000 10. Alprazolam |
