Adverse Drug Reactions and Disease Statistics

Adverse Drug Reactions May Be A Leading Cause of Death In US

In 1996, 108,000 Americans died in hospitals from adverse reactions to FDA-approved drugs properly administered by licensed medical professionals, as reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association. In the same year, 2.2 million Americans had adverse reactions to FDA-approved drugs.

WESTPORT, April 15 (Reuters) - Adverse drug reactions affect a far greater number of hospital patients than was previously thought and may rank as high as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, according to a report in the April 15th issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Jason Lazarou, and Drs. Bruce H. Pomeranz and Paul N. Corey of the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, conducted a meta-analysis of 39 prospective studies that occurred between 1966 to 1996 and focused on the incidence of adverse drug reactions in US hospitals.

For purposes of the study, an adverse drug reaction was defined as "...any noxious, unintended and undesired effect of a drug, which occurs at doses used in humans for prophylaxis, diagnosis, or therapy." Incidents involving errors in drug administration, noncompliance, drug abuse, overdose or therapeutic failure were not included.

"The overall incidence of serious [adverse drug reactions] was 6.7%," the researchers conclude, "...and of fatal [adverse drug reactions] was 0.32%." For the year 1994, this amounted to an estimated 106,000 adverse drug reaction-related fatalities. The researchers say that adverse drug reactions may be the fourth to the sixth leading cause of death in the US.

In an editorial, Dr. David W. Bates of Partners Healthcare Systems, and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, says that he believes that the Toronto figures may be somewhat inflated for a number of reasons, including the fact that "...the hospitals studied are probably not representative of hospitals at large. Such studies are more likely to be conducted in academic, tertiary care hospitals; these hospitals have sicker patients, and these patients have more adverse drug reactions."

Health Expenditures and Disease Statistics for the US in 1996

These figures are taken from government statistics. With education and prevention, we can contribute to the reduction of all these diseases. We found these statistics staggering, and sobering. We have a long way to go in the US to reverse the "disease model" and accept responsibility for our health through the choices we make.

Alzheimer's Disease

Deaths Annually: 21,166 (1996)
Age-Adjusted Death Rate: 3 deaths per 100,000 population (1996)
Cause of Death Rank: 14 (1996)
Cause of Death Rank Among Americans Ages 65 years and Over: 9 (1996)

Cancer

Deaths Annually: 544,278 (1996)
Age-Adjusted Death Rate: 129 deaths per 100,000 population (1996)
Cause of Death Rank: 2 (1996)
Hospital Discharges: 1,414,000 (1995)
Average Length of Hospital Stay: 7.3 days (1995)

Cholesterol

Percent of Americans Ages 20-74 With High Serum Cholesterol: 19% (1994)
Mean Serum Cholesterol level, mg/dL: 203 (1994)
High Serum Cholesterol Is Most Prevalent Among White, Non-Hispanic Females
High Serum Cholesterol Is Least Prevalent Among Black Males
In 1995, there were 20.4 million Office Visits to Physicians for Cholesterol Reduction

Common Cold

There are nearly 66 million cases of the common cold annually (1994)
28.5 million of these cases affect Americans under age 17 (1994)
There are nearly 20 million school-loss days annually due to the common cold (1994)
There are approximately 24 million bed days annually associated with the common cold
Sixty-eight percent of common colds suffered by children under 5 years are medically attended

Diet - (Average Daily Intakes in Milligrams, 1988-91)

Calcium: 976 (male), 744 (female)
Iron: 17.17 (male), 12.37 (female)
Potassium: 3,029 (male), 2,296 (female)
Sodium: 3,853 (male), 2,756 (female)
Zinc: 13.63 (male), 9.26 (female)
Vitamin C: 115 (male), 95 (female)
Folate (in micrograms): 317 (male), 236 (female)
Kilocalories: 2,478 (male), 1,732 (female)
Carbohydrates: 299 (male), 217 (female)
Protein: 92 (male), 64 (female)
Fat: 96 (male), 67 (female)
Saturated Fat: 34 (male), 23 (female)
Cholesterol: 322 (male), 221 (female)

Health Expenditures

National Health Expenditures as a Percent of Gross Domestic Product: 13.6% (1995)
National Health Expenditures: $988.5 Billion (1995)
National Health Expenditures, in Private Funds: $532.1 Billion (1995)
National Health Expenditures, in Public Funds: $456.4 Billion (1995)
Percent of National Health Expenditures in Personal Health Care: 89% (1995)
Percent of National Health Expenditures in Program Administration and Net Cost of Health
Insurance: 5% (1995)
Percent of National Health Expenditures in Government Public Health Activities: 3%

Health Status

Nearly 1 out of 10 Americans report they are in fair or poor health (1994)
More females than males report being in fair or poor health (1994)
Twice as many black persons than white persons report they are in fair or poor health (1994)
Twenty percent of people who earn less than $14,000 report being in fair or poor health (1994)
Four percent of people earning $50,000 or more report they are in fair or poor health (1994)
More people who live in the South report being infair or poor health (1994)

Heart Disease

Deaths Annually: 733,834 (1996)
Age-Adjusted Death Rate: 135 deaths per 100,000 population (1996)
Cause of Death Rank: 1 (1996)
Cases Reported Annually: 22.3 million (1994)
Hospital Discharges for Patients with Heart Disease: 4.05 million (1995)
Average Length of Hospital Stay: 5.5 days (1995)

Life Expectancy

All Americans, at Birth: 76.1 (1996)
All Americans, at Age 65: 17.5
All Males, at Birth: 73.0
All Males, at Age 65: 15.7
All Females, at Birth: 79.0
All Females, at Age 65: 18.9

Overweight Prevalence

Percent of Adults Who Are Overweight: 35%
Percent Change Since 1976-80: +9%
Percent of Adolescents (ages 12-17) Who Are Overweight: 12% (1988-94)
Percent Change Since 1976-80: +6%
Percent of Children (ages 6-11) Who Are Overweight: 14% (1988-94)
Percent Change Since 1976-80: +2%
Percent of Pre-School Children Who Are Overweight: 8% (1988-94)
Overweight Prevalence Among Adults 20-74 Years Old, According to Age, Race, Sex, and Hispanic Origin, Selected Periods, 1960-94

Chronic Sinusitis

Number of Cases of Chronic Sinusitis Reported Annually: 34.9 million (1994)
Number of Cases per 1,000 Population: 134.4 (1994)
Rates are Highest Among: Women, People Living in the South (1994)
Number of Doctor Visits (office-based) Annually: 11.9 million (1995)
Number of Hospital Outpatient Visits Annually: 939,000 (1995)
Number of Emergency Department Visits Annually: 645,000 (1995)

Strokes

Deaths Annually: 160,431 (1996)
Age-Adjusted Death Rate: 27 deaths per 100,000 population (1996)
Cause of Death Rank: 3 (1996)
Cases Reported Annually: 3 million (1994)
Number of Emergency Department Visits: 694,000 (1995)
Number of Hospital Discharges (inpatients):926,000 (1995)

Occupational Health

Deaths From Work-Related Injuries: 5,687 (1996)
Age-Adjusted Death Rate: 2 deaths per 100,000 population (1996)
Number of Work-Loss Days Related to Acute Conditions: 384 million (1994)
Number of Emergency Department Visits for Work-Related Injuries: 4.8 million

Of these 20 million premature deaths, half will be children under age 5. The deaths of at least 2 million of these 10 million children could be prevented through vaccines already available. ``The most important pattern of progress now emerging is an unmistakable trend toward healthier, longer life,'' the WHO said. ``The world is learning how to grow old successfully.''

There is abundant evidence that prevention pays off in avoiding diseases of old age. For instance, a campaign to decrease cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking in the Finnish province of North Karelia - which had one of the world's highest rates of heart disease - produced a 65 percent reduction in heart attacks, a six-year increase in life expectancy over the past 25 years, and a 25 percent reduction in the number of people on heart-related disability payments.

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