2023-10-11 09:36:05
Ecology is on the rise. And it’s a good thing.
Our planet is our garden. It is reassuring that we care.
It is fortunate that we take care of the life that surrounds us and of which we are a part.
Media and political attention is mainly focused on the climate.
And it is true that we cannot ignore its evolution.
But there are other urgent pollutions that we could try to eliminate, and for which nothing is done.
I am thinking in particular of drug pollution.
It is all the more useful to avoid as a certain number of these medications cause serious side effects and can even be carcinogenic.
In France, 17,500 tonnes of unused or expired medicines are thrown away every year(1).
These medications, often associated with household waste, are incinerated or burned, which constitutes water or air pollution without anyone noticing.(1).
For the medicines to be recycled, you can simply return them to your pharmacist who will pass them through the medicinal waste treatment circuit.(2).
This sector in France is organized by the Cyclamed association(2).
The collected medicines are sent to wholesale distributors who transport them to specialized sites where incinerators can burn the waste at more than 1,200 degrees.(2).
This incineration also makes it possible to produce energy. So all is not lost!
On the other hand, only 50% of medicines in France are reported to pharmacies(1).
The rest therefore goes with normal waste and is treated in more random and less environmentally friendly conditions.(1,2).
In addition to expired medications, there are residues from consumed medications.
And it is, in reality, the primary source of environmental contamination(1,2).
The treatment plants make it possible to filter some of it but we still end up finding residues in the water of rivers, lakes and even in groundwater.
The only way to avoid this pollution is to radically change our consumption of medicines.
And for this, the simplest thing is to avoid those which are not absolutely necessary while being dangerous and polluting.
The birth control pill is linked to breast cancer and cervical cancer
A recent study conducted in Denmark followed nearly 2 million women aged 15 to 49 taking the birth control pill.
They were followed for 10 years(3).
At the end of this period, researchers discovered that in these women the risk of having breast cancer or uterine cancer is higher than in women who do not take it.
The researchers also observed that the risk increased with the duration of consumption.(3).
The longer the pill was taken, the higher the risks associated with these two cancers were.
Obviously, going without birth control pills may seem impossible.
But, by better educating young people we can hope to reduce the time of exposure to this drug.
Proton pump inhibitors are criticized even by the HAS!
One in four French people consume PPIs or proton pump inhibitors(4).
That still makes 16 million patients.
The HAS estimates that in half of the cases, this use is not justified!
And for Health Insurance, this figure oscillates between 40 and 80%(4) !
These medications are used to reduce the secretion of stomach acid. They are indicated in cases of esophageal reflux or stomach ulcers.
In many patients, this medication is able to reduce symptoms quickly.
But this benefit is not without risk.
A meta-analysis published in 2023 in an international oncology journal shows that PPIs reduce the good bacteria in the intestine(5).
The microbiota of patients is damaged by this medication.
And that’s not all.
PPIs may be associated with risk of stomach cancer(5).
Study researchers recommend that this medication be taken for the shortest possible time(5).
Prevention is better than cure…
But the most appropriate response would be to help patients eat better and be less stressed.
This requires strengthening the development of organic agriculture and expanding well-being professions.
We must recognize the professions of herbalists, nutritionists and naturopaths and provide these sectors with appropriate training.
We must also help patients benefit from these prevention services by integrating them into mutual reimbursement.
We would thus have more wellness services and fewer prescribed medications, which would not take away the work of doctors!
Statins can also cause cancer
Statins are medications prescribed to combat cholesterol, which is believed to clog the arteries.(6).
According to Dr Michel de Lorgeril, researcher at the CNRS and expert in cardiology, the problem does not come from cholesterol which is an essential natural molecule(7).
For him, there is no justification for still prescribing statins(7).
If the arteries become blocked, it is because the patients’ internal lesions are healing poorly or the arteries are too stiff.
And the best way to prevent these pitfalls is to adopt a protective lifestyle.
For a long time, health authorities have blamed dietary cholesterol.
Eggs and fat should be avoided.(7).
But in 2015, American health authorities in their general recommendations changed their mind(8).
Overnight, dietary cholesterol became healthy.
Despite this, we continued to prescribe cholesterol medications for prevention.
Unfortunately, we now know that statins can cause many side effects, particularly on the muscles or even headaches.(9).
5 to 9% of patients suffer from muscular side effects, which is not nothing(9) !
These drugs are also associated with an increased risk of colorectal, lung and kidney cancers.(10).
Thus, in terms of general prevention, nothing seems more effective than a virtuous lifestyle that combines a Mediterranean diet with daily physical activity.
In addition, a recent publication from INSERM confirmed that taking a statin in healthy people over 75 did not guarantee them better prevention against heart disease.(11).
The document specifies, however, that the risk of side effects is greater from this age(11).
This does not mean that statins are not useful in certain specific situations – check with your doctor – but that the massive use of this medication for primary prevention seems outdated.
How to develop more ecological medicine?
When you enter a pharmacy in Switzerland, you can choose between natural remedies or chemical molecules…
In France, many natural remedies are prohibited.
This is the case, for example, of thyroidin, or natural thyroid, which is authorized in many countries around the world but prohibited in France.
If you have thyroid problems, the only medication available is Levothyrox.
What if you can’t stand it? There is nothing.
Likewise, homeopathy, useful for many patients, has been heavily attacked in recent years in France.
Homeopathic remedies, which cost nothing, are no longer reimbursed(12).
What will we give to patients instead of these remedies? Chemical molecules…
Another avenue would be to develop personalized medicine, that is to say adapting therapy to each patient.
But we are still a long way from this precision medicine!
Naturally yours,
Augustine of Livois
1697086046
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