Beyond drugs

I read a report from Reuters today, that told of the current diabetes epidemic across the world. I then read a blog regarding Pfizer's torcetrapib disaster, that questioned whether we are entering a period where heart disease may be on the increase because our medical innovations are failing us. These two pieces made me wonder about the importance of drugs for such chronic conditions as heart disease and diabetes, versus the importance of lifestyle changes. For sure, modern medicine has brought us many benefits not least of which has been in management of heart related issues. However, I think it is only fair to ask the question, can we expect drugs to do it all? Or should we be putting forth a little effort too? Obviously, the latter will give us the best results. I have sat at dinner on more than once occasion with a fellow colleague who goes for the extra serving of onion rings, with a profiterole chaser, only to proclaim he can just take an additional Lipitor so no worries-right? Well, in the short term, probably OK. But in the longer term, not right at all. We are short-changing ourselves and our society by expecting Big Pharma to solve some of the current world health problems. To just ask someone to not eat the onion rings, or step up to the treadmill, is not going to work. People don't work like that (I don't anyway). For most people exercise and good eating is pretty far down on a laundry list of things to think about and do everyday. Many people feel they don't have time, or they don't deserve the 'me-time' it takes. Whatever the reason, the answer is in a holistic approach. I don't have answers but I believe they will come from seeing people as whole individuals with different issues that prevent us from doing what we know we should. There are plenty of external influences that ensure we will keeping eating the burgers (constant ads in every direction), and there are many lifestyle factors that play into our inability to resist the donut (such as lack of sleep for example). Only by considering the mental, spiritual and physical health of an individual will we be able to advise and tailor approaches that can change a mind-set and a lifestyle. Drugs are not out of the question; they are an invaluable tool for many, many diseases. They are, however, best when combined with methods that consider the person more holistically, rather than a mere manifestation of a particular disease.