A review by a top health insurance provider shows the use of prescription drugs to treat heartburn and other stomach ailments has increased 43-percent percent over the past three years. The report by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield shows Iowa mirroring a nationwide increase in the use of these highly-advertised drugs. Wellmark Medical Director, Dr. Mary Davis, says these acid reducers and gas blockers fall into a category called “lifestyle” drugs, because a majority of people who use them aren’t really sick, and their symptoms are a result of overindulgence. She says there are a lot of people with stomach upset or heartburn, but it has only been in the last several years we’ve had drugs to treat those symptoms.Davis says people who use the drugs are overeating and eating things they know will upset their system. She says the advertising for the drugs encourages that action and goes against the old medical advice of not overdoing things.She says moderation in everything is the key to a healthy lifestyle, and she says it appears we have gotten less moderate over the years. Davis says doctors and patients need to really examine the reasons for using the drugs, as the advertising pushes patients and the doctors to use the products. She says the direct advertising to consumers is a big change in the medical field, and it puts pressure on doctors to do what their patients ask. Davis says people are paying more for the prescription drugs, when there’s a cheaper alternative available.She says over-the-counter drugs are typically cheaper than the prescription drugs, and says they’re adequate in about 70 percent of the cases. Davis says the drugs can be a big help for patients with legitimate health concerns, but says using the them so you can eat anything and everything you want, may lead to bigger problems down the road. For more information on the report, surf to www.wellmark.com/health_improvement/reports/wellmark_report.htm