Overmedication a myth, says Danish pharma group

The reduction in mortality as a result of cardiovascular disease is due to a combination of healthier lifestyles and effective medicine, notes the Danish Pharmaceutical industry association LIF.

The pharmaceutical industry is often accused of making the population feel ill and thus also promoting overmedication. It is simply not true, says the LIF, pointing out that the Danish Heart Foundation's web site cites an article in the European Heart Journal as the source for stating that "Denmark is the best at saving hearts” and ”Denmark takes the lead in combating cardiovascular disease and sees the sharpest decline in mortality since the 1980s in Europe."

The background for this is that Denmark is the country which has seen the greatest decline in mortality as a result of cardiovascular disease for both women and men. Between 1980 and 2006, death from heart attacks fell by 72% for men and 70% for women in Denmark. The statistics take account aging trends in the population. In the period between 1980 and 2006 deaths as a result of cardiovascular disease also fell in the rest of Europe.