It's the middle of August, school is just around the corner, and protecting ourselves from viral infections is at the top of most people's minds. Many of you have received the COVID vaccine, while others have chosen not to. Either way, taking a look at your immune system and trying to make it the best infection-fighting machine possible would seem like a good idea.

Here is a statement that I think we can all agree on, "the pharmaceutical industry does not profit from healthy people." It seems a little odd, but it is in their best interest for you to have a chronic disease or illness. It sounds crazy, and you may think I am crazy to make that statement, but it is entirely truthful, and I will explain what I mean.

I recently visited with a salesman that worked in the pharmaceutical industry but no longer did. I'm a curious person and asked him why he quit working in that field. He stated that he was tired of it, and when he started working, the cost of a vial of insulin was about $30, and now it is $600. It was getting harder and harder for him to sell his products.

The average cost of a brand-name diabetic drug today is in the neighborhood of $450 per month. When a patient goes to their practitioner and finds out that their fasting glucose and A1c, both markers for diabetes or insulin resistance, are elevated, the best way to address this is with exercise and diet. For many patients, this may be difficult to accomplish, and they often fail miserably. No worry, the patient can get medication to normalize the levels of these markers.

The patient brings the prescription to the pharmacy, or the pharmacy receives it electronically, and after processing the prescription through their insurance, the copay for the $450 medication would be about $100. Fortunately, the drug company has a copay card that brings the price down to $20 or even $0. This is a great deal. Wrong. If the patient chooses to go down this pathway, it is indeed the path of least resistance meaning. It is easy, costs next to nothing, and no change is necessary. It is the magic pill.

A year or two goes by, and the patient has possibly gained some extra pounds. The medication isn't controlling the glucose and A1c, so another drug is added to the regimen. Once again, the medication is purchased for a minimal amount of money, seems to be doing the trick, and levels are normalized. 

Fast forward another couple of years, and the medications are not doing the job anymore. The patient needs to go on insulin and will have to do a daily injection. It is covered by insurance, and the copay card seems to be helping with the price as well. 

The patient turns 65 and is now on Medicare Part D for their prescriptions, and the rules have changed. They cannot use a copay card, and the patient has a deductible, copays, and may enter the donut hole. Now it is not so easy and convenient, especially if you are on a fixed income.

Obesity is an epidemic in society, with the most recent CDC data stating 42.4% of the US population is in this group. This statistic most likely didn't improve over the last two years with the pandemic.

The definition of obesity is an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that presents a health risk, and a BMI of 30 or greater would fit the criteria. The formula is weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared times 703. BMI is not a great measurement tool for all body types, but it is not a bad marker for the masses. Here are two examples of BMI's

•       A 6-foot male would have an optimal weight at 140 to 180 lbs or a BMI of 19-24; this same individual would be considered obese at a BMI of 30-39 or a weight of 220-290

•       A 5'7" female would have an optimal weight at 120-150 or a BMI of 19-24; this same individual would be considered obese at a BMI of 30-39 or a weight of 190-250

Unfortunately, BMI does not differentiate between a pound of muscle vs. a pound of fat. A much better way to measure would be to look at percent muscle and percent fat which can be done with a BioImpedence Analysis (BIA) or another device that does the same thing. An additional benefit of the BIA is that it gives phase angle and intra- and extra-cellular fluid different markers to see your overall health.

So why have I just spent time talking about obesity? Because it is one of three risk factors that are responsible for roughly 80% of COVID deaths. The other two risk factors are age and having multiple comorbid conditions (underlying disease states). We know that age is not something that we can influence. Disease states can be improved, and in many instances, they can improve if weight is lost.

Here are some natural ways to boost your immune system: exercise, increase intake of fruits and vegetables, decrease intake of sugar and process foods, eat fermented foods or take a quality probiotic, get 7-9 hours of sleep, reduce stress, and consider supplementing with Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D.

Vitamin D status can be a risk factor depending on the study you read. Some studies show no benefit. Others show decreased severity of the illness depending on the level of vitamin D in your system. My recommendation is to shoot for a level of 50-80ng/dl. The cost to supplement is inexpensive at $0.08 per day, and testing is about $50, so whether we follow the studies showing effect or the studies that show no effect, it would seem like an excellent idea to supplement with Vitamin D the months of September thru April when you can't get it naturally from the sun unless you travel south.

The information presented should genuinely be a call to action for everyone, especially those individuals who can change their health status. Remember, simple things that you do can cumulatively add up to create positive responses. Dig deep, make the necessary changes and forge ahead.

Stop by the pharmacy if you want more information or need help choosing quality supplements for immune support. Please visit my website at www.irsfeldpharmacy.com to find this and other archived articles in the blog section. Until next time, be vigilant about your health!!