By Dr. Darren Schmidt

Heart health. High Blood Pressure. Cholesterol. Better or worse?

Are you drugged or are you healthy?

A greater percentage of Americans are getting coronary heart disease (CHD) even as more drugs are being developed and more money is being spent on healthcare than ever before. This graph below shows recent figures from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). It indicates a steady increase in prevalence of coronary heart disease for more than a decade:

What about the newest high blood pressure medications?

Aren't they helping cure high blood pressure?

Nope. In the graph below, you can see a greater percentage of Americans have high blood pressure (HPB) than a decade ago.

This graph is also from a recent study by the CDC.

We are getting sicker.

More of us are suffering from heart problems and high blood pressure.

Unfortunately, not only is the prevalence of CHD and HPB increasing, the number of people being given drugs as treatment is on a steady rise. In fact, the HPB prevalence has risen a few percentage points while the percentage of prescriptions for hypertension has increased by nearly 20 percent. The math just doesn't add up. Unless, of course, the plan is for the pharmaceutical companies, doctors, and hospitals to make more money. That adds up — to billions.

So what about cholesterol?

With more than 20 years of low-fat diets and American Dietetic Association recommendations, aren't cholesterol levels improving?

Most definitely NOT! But one thing that has improved — cholesterol drug profits.

Americans are drugged more and more, and the graph below shows over a 20 percent increase in cholesterol drug prescriptions in the last 10 years.

Are you healthy or are you medicated?

Taking more pills does not mean we have less heart disease, less high blood pressure, or lower cholesterol.

In fact, the opposite seems to be true if we look at the CDC's data.

If you are medicated or thinking medication is your only option, you might be headed toward possible health care crises in the future. Medical expenses are extremely high, and while quality goes down, expenses will continue to increase. They may very well bankrupt you if you get a "big money" diagnosis like diabetes, cancer, or any heart problem — with healthcare insurance reform or not.

Cost of medical care has outpaced inflation for more than 30 years!

Summary of results of 100 years conventional medical care:

More people have coronary heart disease.
More people have high blood pressure.
More people are drugged.
Medical expenses are the number one cause of bankruptcy.
This system is not sustainable. It is also detrimental to individual lives.

Healthcare Insurance reform is not the answer. Reforming Healthcare itself is the answer.

Natural, nutrition-based healthcare is the answer — not more drugs, more money, or better ways to irradiate cancer cells.

Most people go down the path of conventional medicine instead of the correct path of getting healthy by using preventative healthcare, simply because of advertising and because they've been told to by the "best people."

Improving health is a whole new science and technology and so is recovering the "lost knowledge" we did have that has fallen into disuse.

They don't teach this in medical schools.

Don't expect your M.D. to help you improve your health.

He is not trained to do anything but minimize or suppress symptoms or cut them out.

That is not what they get paid for, they have no training in it, and if they do it (and say so) they may get their license taken away.

The solution is to visit a well trained, nutrition-oriented doctor or healthcare Practitioner. Our care is effective and much less expensive than conventional medicine. It is intelligent and preventative. It is not quick fix. There are no drugs and no surgery.

And if you've had drugs or surgery as your healthcare up until now, it is all the more reason to see what natural healthcare can do.

Total health improvement is what we do. Our patients get well and stay well. Their health is regained and increased.

Are you one of the few who see this? Make the right decision. Choose health over drugs and surgery.

Darren Schmidt has been in practice since 1997. He is a chiropractor who specializes in nutrition. He has specialized training as an advanced trained practitioner and teacher of Nutrition Response Testing. In 2000, he opened The Nutritional Healing Center in Ann Arbor, which is located at 3610 W. Liberty Road, 48103. For more information visit, www.thenutritionalhealingcenter.com or call (734) 302-7575.