While the battle rages over the escalating cost of some prescriptiondrugs, American consumption of these pharmaceuticalsin general is at an all-time high, with no slowing of usage insight.

That’s what a team of researchers from Boston and New Yorkinstitutions found when they examined federal prescription drug usedata. Their main finding: 59 percent of adult Americans filled atleast one prescription drug order in 2011-2012, compared to 51percent in the 1999-2000 study period.

The percentage of those who filled at least five drug ordersrose from 8 percent in 1999-2000 to 15 percent in the later studyperiod. The increased demand was largely made up of mood changers,drugs that address obesity, muscle relaxers and certainproton pump inhibitors.

A higher number of older Americans are now using prescriptiondrugs than in 1999-2000, but prescription drug use hasn’t grownmuch among those ages 20 to 39, the researchers reported. In the40-to-64 age category, use was up from 57 percent in 1999-2000 to65 percent; among those age 65 and older, usage increased from 84percent to 90 percent. In the youngest category, use increased just3 percent, to 35 percent. However, there were some anomalies. Forinstance, the use of muscle relaxants rose among women much more sothan among men.

Other highlights:

Racial consumption of prescription drugs:“Although significant increases in the percentage of persons usingfive or more prescriptions were observed in all racial/ethnicgroups, an overall increase in prescription drug use was evidentamong individuals who were non-Hispanic white (55 percent-66percent) and non-Hispanic black (43 percent -52 percent), but notMexican American (30 percent -33 percent). This pattern remainedunchanged with age adjustment.”

Drugs of choice: “All of the top 10 mostcommonly used drugs increased over the study period exceptatorvastatin.”

No. 1 drug: “The most commonly used individualdrug in 2011-2012 was simvastatin (7.9 percent), increasing from2.0 percent in 1999-2000.”

Blood pressure: “Use of antihypertensive drugs increased overthe study period, with a marked increase observed for severalantihypertensives, including thiazide diuretics.”

Statins: “Use of antihyperlipidemics increasedmarkedly, driven primarily by an increase in use of statins, forwhich the greatest increase was observed prior to 2005-2006.”

Depression: “The increase in use ofantidepressant drugs may, in part, reflect shifting attitudesregarding depression.Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitorsand selection serotonin and norepinephrine uptake inhibitorsmarkedly increased; notably, use of SSNRIs increased between1999-2000 and 2005-2006, remaining stable thereafter.”