May I offer an alternative assessment of the data?
The past three years gutted the medical industrial complex of any remaining credibility. They went all-in in Feb-March 2020 within their remaining Authority Bias to Finish the Job.
Fast forward to 2023. Sure, inflation will cause consumers to make choices about what to buy and not buy. But a bigly segment of America, seeing the grotesque medicinal compound that was forced on people by a retinue of lab-coated fiends who killed grandma, have said NO to meds.
There is a new generation of Americans who will use doctors sparingly, resort to alternative therapies and better foods and nutrition, and are cutting their Big Pharma tethers.
/rant
I am thinking along similar lines. I have also noticed that the medical establishment is starting to prescribe many things without even having symptoms or discomfort.
“Here are your blood test results...now take this medicine...here is a prescription” kind of stuff.
The next step will be prescribing medicines based on a genetic analysis, with absolutely no manifestations of issues, but simply based on your genes.
Are all the medications really needed? Or just needed by the doctor and the hospital to have the insurance / gov’t / you pay their bills?
I went to a doctor about 13+ years ago. Feeling run down and was told I had high triglycerides and he said I had diabetes.
My solution was to stop drinking a 6 pack of coca cola nearly everyday. I changed what I eat and I cook most of my food and pretty much stopped going to fast food places for lunch.
He sent me a letter after I did not return and stated I had diabetes! and used a exclamation mark and that I needed treatment.
I think I heard the quacking noise when I was there...