Bloody hell.
That's either a terrible statement on the health/self abuse of brits or a terrible reflection on the prescribing enthusiasms of brit doctors.
Avoid regular meds as long as possible is my intention, cycle, drop dead.
I actually took up cycling at age 57, because of my Doctor.... in brief
I was over-weight, with high BP, I had already had heart attack 8 years earlier....
At my annual check up, Doctor wanted to increase my BP medication.... I resisted, know side effects of medication .... Doctor was surprised, he told me, we don't get many people who resist a prescription! ..... instead, he enrolled me in a cycling group, which had been set up by local NHS trust .... the group was very poorly attended, but, I loved it, BP came down to acceptable levels, lost a stone in weight, brilliant, still cycling 15 years later.