Apparently, millions of Americans -- including those at a low-risk of heart attack -- should be on the cholesterol-reducing drugs. In my opinion, this is scary. Don't get me wrong -- statins are a wonderful thing and have helped many, many people. But we are a very medicated society and the fact that the medical community feels the need to medicate the low-risk population is frightening. Especially when healthy living could solve many of the same problems.

People with high cholesterol aren't the only ones who should be paying attention to their numbers. Even if your cholesterol falls in healthy ranges, you should still be taking proactive measures to manage it:

• Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise increases your HDL cholesterol. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the "good" cholesterol because it helps carry the bad cholesterol out of your blood stream. Your HDL levels should be greater than 40 mg/dl.

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Skyrocketing childhood obesity rates have an unwanted side effect -- more kids are being put on prescription medications to combat related chronic diseases.

A recent study revealed there have been surges in prescriptions for children with diabetes and asthma as well as smaller increases in high blood pressure and high cholesterol medications. To varying degrees, obesity can play a role in all of those conditions. While some of the medication increase can be attributed to modified guidelines, the rise is concerning.

If your child is overweight, there are many positive, supportive ways you can help. AOL Health has other suggestions for battling childhood obesity.

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A small glass of 100% fruit juice is a good part of a healthful breakfast, right? If you're on certain prescription medications, your fruit juice may be doing more harm than good.

Grapefruit juice, for example, can interfere with blood pressure medication and actually increase its efficacy, subsequently creating a risk of overdose. Conversely, recent research suggests that grapefruit juice may prevent certain anti-allergy medications from absorbing into the bloodstream properly. A component of grapefruit juice called naringin appears to be the culprit.

Researchers state that this finding may be the "tip of the iceberg" as other juices, including orange and apple, also contain naringin-like substances that may have similar effects.

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If water isn't enough to quench your thirst, you're in luck. A new UCLA study reveals the top 10 healthiest drinks, and AOL News features the nitty gritty on the whole lot right here. And guess what? Nine of them are fruit based. Here they are.

• Apple Juice
• Tea
• Orange Juice
• Cranberry Juice
• Acai Juice
• Black Cherry Juice
• Blueberry Juice
• Concord Grape Juice
• Red Wine
• Pomegranate Juice
  

What makes these drinks so healthy? Antioxidants, mostly. The more vivid the color, the more antioxidants there are. No wonder so many berry drinks made the cut.

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Just pulled some prescription numbing cream out of my medicine cabinet. It expired in July 2006 -- way back when I was still receiving treatment for cancer and couldn't bear the thought of a needle piercing the skin on top of my implanted port without my Lidocaine cream generously coating the entire area. It was a lifesaver, that cream. But it's been almost two years since I've needed it, two years since it was apparently even effective. Do I really need to keep it around, then? Why, of course not. And that's why I'm about to trash it.

Do you have your own stash of old and outdated medication. If so, you should wade through it and ditch what you no longer need. Don't flush what you've got, though, unless the drug packaging specifically instructs you to do so. And don't just toss your meds in the trash can. These actions can harm the environment and your drinking water.

What should I do with my old cream then? And what should you do with your leftover stock of drugs? Here's what the Office of National Drug Control Policy says you should do. This article offers several options too. You might also look into services provided by your city or county. The City of Cleveland just hosted a medication round-up in May. And the City of San Francisco is urging its residents to safely store old drugs until drop-off sites for expired goods are established.

Tell us: What do you do?

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Medication is supposed to make you feel better, but even the safest medication is not risk-free. Doctors usually weigh the benefit of the medication with the potential risk factors. But some medications have more risks than others. According to Men's Health, there are at least eight commonly-prescribed medications that doctors (the ones interviewed anyway) wouldn't even take themselves.

Before I share the list with you ... a disclaimer. This information came from a magazine. When making medical decisions, you should not rely on a magazine. You should talk to your doctor. So if you are taking one of these eight medications, do not stop taking them. Suddenly quitting a medication can be very dangerous. Instead, do a little research and take the list to your doctor to see what he or she thinks.

Promise? Ok then, here's the list:

• Advair (for asthma)
• Avandia (for diabetes)
• Celebrex (for arthritis)
• Ketek (for infection)
• Prilosec and Nexium (for heartburn)
• Visine Original (for irritated eyes)
• Pseudoephedrine (for sinus trouble)

For better strategies to treat the conditions in question, click through to Men's Health and read what their doctors had to say.

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Over-the-counter (OTC) meds are usually packaged and sealed for our protection. In fact, sometimes opening a bottle of aspirin sometimes feels like you're trying to break in to Fort Knox. But the special packaging isn't only to make it difficult to get into, it's to make it tamper resistant. So, if your OTC meds have been messed with, it will be evident to your eye. If the plastic seal is punctured, missing, or the printed words don't line up -- bring that medication right back to the store you bought it from and report the problem. Other things to look out for:

• Is the cotton insert torn, pulled, sticky, or stained? If it appears to have been reinserted, don't take any chances.
• Check the bottom of the container for punctures or other signs of tampering.
  
• Make sure none of the capsules are broken, cracked, or appear differently than the others in the package.

Looking for signs of tampering should be your first step before ever taking an OTC medication. Also, be sure to read the fine print to verify that the OTC med won't negatively interact with any prescription medications. If you have any questions, ask the pharmacist. They're happy to help out with the non-prescription medications as well!

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A new study has found that white patients are more apt to receive expensive pain-killing narcotic drugs when a visit to the ER is made -- while minorities are less likely to get them.

Products like oxycodone and morphine were prescribed less frequently for minorities, even for cases where intense and localized pain -- like kidney stones -- was found.
The report covered 150,000 ER visits over a period of 13 years to observe its findings. Why there is such a large gap in apparently preferential treatment in the ER when it comes to race is anyone's guess. Regardless, all men (and women) are not created equal a few centuries after those words helped start this country.

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Medication mistakes can be the fault of patients or caregivers, as many of us have found out from first-hand experience. The inattention to detail some people have when it comes to something as serious as personal health is very odd, but hey -- it's only a pill or short, right?

Drug interactions are generally checked very thoroughly by doctors and pharmacists, but mistakes can happen. Dosage mistakes can also happen if slapshot record-keeping is used in medical facilities. You'd think that in 2007 this would have been eliminated, but not so.

It's up to you to ensure that no medical or medication mistakes are made in the disbursement of any drugs. Question doctors and nurses, regardless of the ego that may be involved. The slim chance of a mistake can be avoided when more than a single instance of double-checking is performed.

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Child deaths related to cold medications are on the FDA's hot plate right now, as the federal agency is determined to see why some kids have died as a result of taking normal, over-the-counter cough medications.

Overdoses of cold medications, unfortunately, have happened in greater frequency in the recent past. In this case, the cause was found to be Dextromethorphan intoxication. Dextromethorphan is a key ingredient in many child cough medications.

With over 1,500 babies having landed in ERs across the country in recent years (according to the CDC) due to cough medication complications, it's about time a harsher look was made at these products. With the FDA's track record of protecting the public, though, I'm not sure of the good that will come out of its findings.

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If you get heartburn more than twice a week, you ought to embrace the basic tenets of a healthy lifestyle. Not only will they keep you in fighting shape, they'll solve that indigestion problem too.

Heartburn, sometimes a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can be minimized, even cured, with the right kind of exercise. Try walking, biking, swimming, yoga, and gentle weight training. Steer clear of high-impact aerobic activity -- this can make reflux more intense. And try to wait two hours after eating before exercising.

Gaining weight can also make GERD worse. A rise in your body mass index can bring on or worsen symptoms, especially if the pounds land in the abdominal region. Eating smaller portions works too by decreasing acid. Make sure to eat meals three hours prior to bedtime since symptoms are often worse at night.

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While it's mostly an issue for older adults, mixing medications and taking too many different types at one time is a concern for everyone. Even if you're in close contact with your doctor there is still a significant risk to your health if you're on more than a couple different meds -- drugs are getting so complicated these days human error is inevitable when it comes to remembering, and predicting, side-effects and drug interactions.

How many meds are you or your loved ones currently taking? Are you aware of and watchful of potential side-effects and are you absolutely sure you need them all? When it comes to your health you are your own best ally, so educate yourself and be involved.

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A drug problem that does n to get a lot of attention is the inability of many patients to actually and specifically take medication dosages on the exact conditions prescribed to by physicians and labeled (in sometimes cryptic instructions) on each container.

Is this a deadly problem? According to the U.S. government, it is. A report being issued this week states that millions of people don't take their medicine correctly, and some even stop taking it completely -- both of which are most likely against doctor's orders. Whose responsibility is this? Most likely the patient, but are doctors doing enough also?

It's shocking to think that almost 50% of patients with chronic illnesses skip doses or otherwise don't conform to the directions for properly taking their medications. Half? Something is seriously out of whack here.

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So what's your opinion on Alli? After all the hype leading up to it people have finally had a chance to buy it and try it for themselves -- nasty side-effects and all. But because it's over-the-counter and anybody can buy it, does that lead to a greater chance that people will abuse it? A psychologist from the St Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute thinks so, and he thinks the greatest danger is for people who suffer from eating disorders. Although Alli has been proven safe for those who are overweight, it may not be for people who do not need to lose weight or are already underweight. And since it's so readily available it may be particularly attractive to people with eating disorders -- even the side-effects (like diarrhea) may not deter them as they may be used to dealing with them already.

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A new study shows that the best treatment for depression patients that aren't responding to medication is exercise. It's been previously shown that physically active people are less likely to suffer from symptoms of depression, and also that exercise can be used as an effective part of an overall depression treatment program, but this is the first time exercise has been looked at in regards to helping people whose symptoms are resistant to medications.

This strengthens the evidence that although exercise should always be part of an effective depression treatment regimen, it should be especially focused on in difficult cases.

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