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In ancient Rome, many of the richer people in the population had lead-induced gout. The reason for this is unclear. Lead poisoning has also been linked to madness.
As the western states of America were settled, pioneers often had to drink rancid water from ponds and other sources. This often resulted in chronic diarrhea, causing many cases of dehydration and death that could have been avoided if clean water had been available.
Medication errors are more common among seriously ill patients than with those with minor conditions.
According to the FDA, adverse drug events harmed or killed approximately 1,200,000 people in the United States in the year 2015.
People with high total cholesterol have about two times the risk for heart disease as people with ideal levels.