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  3. Former First Lady Betty Ford has once again performed an enormous public service by focusing the nation’s attention on a major m

Former First Lady Betty Ford has once again performed an enormous public service by focusing the nation’s attention on a major m

admin2010-07-19  48
问题    Former First Lady Betty Ford has once again performed an enormous public service by focusing the nation’s attention on a major medical problem-the accidental addiction to prescribed medications and the perilous consequences of combining drugs and alcohol. Mrs. Ford’s courageous admission of her own dependence on Valium and alcohol has created a public awareness which will affect the lives of millions.
   It is estimated that one in every five women may be accidentally addicted to her medications. Legally prescribed drugs, taken in dangerous combinations or with alcohol, are causing greater physical damage and death than any of the illegal drugs generally associated with drug abuse.
   Prescription drugs have now become the mainstay of medical care.  A staggering number of medications have been developed to treat pains and discomforts of every kind and almost without exception they all affect the brain to some degree. Depending on the user’s physical or emotional state, metabolism, hormonal balance, age and frequency of use, they may produce various side effects. All are potentially habit-forming. The trouble is the user has no sure way of knowing any of these possibilities.
    Over-the-counter remedies, which people tend to think of as harmless, are often used simultaneously with prescription drugs and liquor, without regard to their combined chemical actions. Since all drugs are potentially toxic, the use of several medications, either simultaneously or in close sequence to each other, adds further risk due to the drugs’ interaction. Such combinations are known to make an increased demand on the body’s normal responses and functions. Often, it becomes impossible to determine exactly which element has caused an unexpected and dangerous reaction.
   In a typical year, approximately 20% of prescriptions filled in the US are of the mood-changing variety: stimulants, including appetite suppressants and depressants-ranging from sleep-inducing sedatives to minor tranquilizers-are counted in this category. Another class of drugs in common use which may cause addiction are pain-killers.
   All these drugs act on the central nervous system. They are often over-prescribed and misuse can lead to dependence. Prescriptions for mood-altering drugs are disproportionately high among women because they constitute the largest group of patients seeking medical advice. It is known that women will reach for and accept help at critical points in their lives, which may heighten their dependence on medical advice.  Marriage, birth, and motherhood, separation, divorce, menopause or major surgery often result in psychosocial and physical stress. Since women, unlike men, are encouraged to admit distress, they are more frequently diagnosed as having "non-specific anxiety" and are given tranquilizers.
   A recent government study for the assessment of the drug and alcohol problems of women is especially critical of the tendency of physicians to "help" women by prescribing anxiety-reducing drugs as an adjunct to other medical treatment.
   This report stated: "Drugs, as a coping mechanism, offer short-term help coupled with long term danger.  This is not to say that drugs have not proven helpful for serious depressions and other mental illnesses. They have indeed. But for life’s everyday problems (and they can be painful), the support of sympathetic friends and relatives, specialised organisations and spiritual solace are preferable to habitual reliance on drugs in any form."
Which of the following factors is NOT explictly mentioned in relation to side effects produced by prescription drugs?
选项 A、Sex.
B、Age.
C、Emotional state.
D、Hormonal balance.
答案A
解析 文章第三段明确提到处方药会因患者的身体或感情状况、新陈代谢、荷尔蒙平衡、年龄与使用频率等因素而产生不同的副作用，没有提到性别。因此正确答案为A。
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