| Updated: 8/18/2009 7:20 pm |
Published: 8/18/2009 5:23 pm |
Here in Arkansas we take more medication than people in 45 other states that earns us the title of one of the most medicated states in America.
Higher rates of preventable diseases like diabetes and heart disease helped earn that title.
When it comes to the most medicated state, Arkansas ranks 5th behind West Virginia, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee this according to a Forbes Magazine article.
"Wow, unbelievable, yeah that surprises me I did not know that," says Yvonne Furnace.
But the proof is in the numbers. Here's why Arkansas made the list the, average Arkansan has 16 prescriptions the national average is 11. This doesn't surprise Doctor Brian Bean at all; he sees it everyday at St. Vincent. "The most common medication I see by far is for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, strokes, heart attacks and stroke and heart attack prevention."
Dr. Bean says Arkansas has a higher than average rate of heart attacks and diabetes at the root of all of this is obesity. "If you can lose weight and watch your diet, I see people that are able to come back off of some of those medications. This sounds like a bleak story but honestly these are things we can fix."
Furnace did just that, she took control of her weight problem. "I just had to cut out a lot of fast food and greasy foods and become more active."
If more people follow her lead Arkansas could drop in weight and in the rankings. Rounding out the top eight most medicated states are Louisiana, Kentucky and Missouri. In 2008 total prescription drug sales reached a little over $291 billion that's a 1.4 percent increase from the year before.
