Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine (P.S.)

Using the examples of Vioxx, Celebrex, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, and anti-depressants, Overdosed America shows that at the heart of the current crisis in American medicine lies the commercialization of medical knowledge itself. Drawing on his background in statistics, epidemiology, and health policy, John Abramson, M.D., reveals the ways in which the drug companies have misrepresented statistical evidence, misled doctors, and compromised our health. The good news is that the best scientific evidence shows that reclaiming responsibility for your own health is often far more effective than taking the latest blockbuster drug. You--and your doctor--will be stunned by this unflinching exposé of American medicine.

Abramson (primary care, Harvard Medical School) reveals how the corporate takeover of clinical research and medical practice is compromising Americans' health. Drawing on his background in statistics and health policy research, he investigates the distortion found in both commercially sponsored medical research and the scientific evidence published in prestigious medical journals that doctors rely on. He explains evidence that proves that simple prevention efforts are far more effective than the drug companies' top-selling products. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Publishers Weekly

According to Abramson, Americans are overmedicated and overmedicalized as a result of the commercialization of health care. Falling prey to marketing campaigns, we demand unnecessary and expensive drugs and procedures, believing they constitute the best possible medical care. Wrong, says Abramson: though more post-heart attack procedures are performed in the U.S. than in Canada, one-year survival rates are the same. Similarly, notes Abramson, a former family practitioner who teaches at Harvard Medical School, we spend more on high-tech neonatology than other Western countries but have a higher infant-mortality rate because of inattention to low-tech prenatal care. Abramson deconstructs the scientific sleight of hand in presenting clinical trial results that leads to the routine prescription of pricey cholesterol-lowering drugs even when their effectiveness has not been proven; he examines what he calls "supply-sensitive medical services"-the near-automatic use of medical technologies, such as cardiac catheterization, less because they are needed than because they are available. Abramson's bottom line: "More care doesn't necessarily mean better care." Arguing firmly that doctors should focus more on lifestyle changes to improve health, Abramson seems less credible when he writes off depression as "exercise-deficiency disease" and disposes of cancer in little more than a page. Still, he makes a powerful and coherent case that American medicine has gone badly astray and needs a new paradigm-one untainted by profits. Agent, Kris Dahl. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

“Overdosed America reveals the greed and corruption that drive health care costs skyward and now threaten the public health. Before you see a doctor, you should read this book.” —Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food NationUsing the examples of Vioxx, Celebrex, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, and anti-depressants, Overdosed America shows that at the heart of the current crisis in American medicine lies the commercialization of medical knowledge itselfFor twenty years, John Abramson, M.D., cared for patients of all ages in a small town north of Boston. But increasingly his role as family doctor was undermined as pressure mounted to use the latest drugs and high-tech solutions for nearly every problem. Drawing on his background in statistics and health policy research, he began to investigate the radical changes that were quietly taking place in American medicine.At the heart of the crisis, he found, lies the changed purpose of medical knowledge—from seeking to optimize health to searching for the greatest profits. The lack of transparency that has become normal in commercially sponsored medical research now taints the scientific evidence published in even our most prestigious medical journals. And unlike the recent scandals in other industries that robbed Americans of money and jobs, this one is undermining our health.Commercial distortion pervades the information that doctors rely upon to guide the prevention and treatment of common health problems, from heart disease to stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, and osteoarthritis. The good news, as Dr. Abramson explains, is that the real scientific evidence shows that many of the things that you can do to protect and preserve your own health are far more effective than what the drug companies'top-selling products can do for you—which is why the drug companies work so hard to keep this information under wraps.In what is sure to be one of the most important and eye-opening books you or your doctor will ever read, John Abramson offers conclusive evidence that American medicine has broken its promise to best improve our health and is squandering more than $500 billion each year in the process. This Book Explains How The Pharmaceutical Companies Distort Medical Knowledge, Mislead Doctors, And Compromise The Health Of Patients. A Family Doctor's Journey Of Discovery -- Medicine In Transition: Caring For Patients At The Crossroads -- Spinning The Evidence: Even The Most Respected Medical Journals Are Not Immune -- False And Misleading: The Misrepresentation Of Celebrex And Vioxx -- The Myth Of Excellence -- A Case In Point: The Saga Of Hormone Replacement Therapy -- The Commercialization Of American Medicine -- American Medicine's Perfect Storm: A Brief History -- The Commercial Takeover Of Medical Knowledge -- The Snake And The Staff: Duping The Doctors -- A Smoking Gun: The 2001 Cholesterol Guidelines -- Direct-to-consumer: Advertising, Public Relations, And The Medical News -- Follow The Money: Supply-side Medical Care -- Taking Back Our Health -- The Knee In Room 8: Beyond The Limits Of Biomedicine -- From Osteoporosis To Heart Disease: What The Research Really Shows About Staying Healthy -- Healing Our Ailing Health Care System, Or How To Save $500 Billion A Year While Improving Americans' Health. John Abramson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 307-310) And Index. "For twenty years, Dr. Abramson cared for patients of all ages in a small town north of Boston. But increasingly his role as family doctor was underminded as pressure mounted to use the latest drugs and high-tech solutions for nearly every problem. Drawing on his background in statistics and health policy research, he began to investigate the radical changes that were quietly taking place in American medicine." "At the heart of the crisis, he found, lies the changed purpose of medical knowledge - from seeking to optimize health to searching for the greatest profits. The lack of transparency that has become normal in commercially sponsored medical research now taints the scientific evidence published in even our most prestigious medical journals. And unlike the recent scandals in other industries that robbed Americans of money and jobs, this one is underming our health."--Jacket