Health Scams

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), several billion dollars are spent each year in this country on unproved medical treatments, and most of the people trying these untested therapies are over the age of 65. One reason seniors may be reaching out to unconventional and potentially harmful treatments is the fact that many seniors have chronic health problems that don't always respond to conventional therapies.

Potential risks

The FDA says there are a number of things to watch out for, in order to spot unproved and potentially risky therapies. The warning signs include:

• claims of "secret formulas"
• inadequate labeling
• hard-sell pitches
• claims of conspiracies of medical providers and/or drug companies

Using some of these unproved therapies carries several risks. One is financial. Many untested therapies can be quite costly, and for seniors on a fixed income, the drain can be substantial.

Another risk is that by using an untested form of treatment, patients will stop using more proven therapies and medications, which can help them a lot more in the long run. There's also the chance of potentially harmful interactions, for example if a patient mixes herbs or over-the-counter pills together with medication prescribed by their doctor. (Read about "Drug Interaction Precautions")

In addition, there are a number of products that make claims for which there may be no proof. For example, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the material in every cell that holds the genes; it gets damaged over time and this could be one of the reasons that people age. But the National Institute on Aging says pills or creams claiming they contain DNA won't stop the aging process, because the DNA would be broken down into other substances and could not get to cells or do any good.

Further risks

By far the biggest risk lies in the fact that some treatments or pills, which are hyped as the latest "cure-all," may turn out to be dangerous. For example, after the herb chaparral was promoted as having anti-aging properties, the FDA issued a warning to consumers that the herb could in fact cause liver damage and kidney troubles. (Read about "The Liver" "Kidney Disease") And even if an ingredient isn't harmful to everyone, it may not be appropriate for everyone either. For example, in someone with strong allergies, certain types of "calming" herb teas, such as those containing chamomile, can trigger an allergic reaction. (Read about "Allergies" "Herbal Precautions" "Anaphylaxis")

The bottom line is consumer beware. If something you read about in an ad in the back of a magazine sounds too good to be true, it very well may not be true at all. And if you have any questions about different types of treatments, talk with a qualified healthcare provider first.

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