Hightower Lowdown

In the swirl of statistics constantly spinning around us, here's one that caught my eye: The fifth-leading cause of preventable disease and death in America is our medicines.

Specifically, adverse reactions to prescription drugs are responsible for 100,000 deaths a year. This stat is from a book called Worst Pills, Best Pills, just published by the Health Research Group of the consumer watchdog organization Public Citizen. In 900 easy-to-use pages written in plain English, the book tells you the pluses and minuses of the medicines you or a loved one might be taking.

The Health Research Group finds that 53 top-selling prescribed drugs "should not be taken under any circumstances." It also lists 181 drugs under its "Do Not Use" category—ranging from antidepressants to toenail-fungus drugs—and offers safer alternatives for each. With pharmaceutical sales reps hustling their brands to doctors and slick drug ads on TV hustling us consumers, the book's researchers conclude that "the greatest epidemic of drug abuse in American society is among those patients who are the victims of misprescribing or overprescribing."

For more, call Worst Pills, Best Pills at 800-289-3787