A study has shown that patients who take the arthritis drug Vioxx
stood 50 percent higher risk of having a heart attack or experiencing
a fatal cardiac episode than those taking Celebrex, another popular
arthritis drug.
The patients in the higher risk bracket for suffering a heart attack
or sudden cardiac death were those who took the highest recommended
daily dosage of Vioxx, compared to those taking standard painkillers.
Based on these results, researchers cautioned people against taking
high dosages of Vioxx.
These findings raised concerns of researchers particularly because
sudden cardiac death is considered the leading cause of death in
the United States.
Despite the consistent support of those defending the safety of
Vioxx, sales have remained stagnant for the past few years. The
risk of heart attack and cardiac death occurs when patients continue
to take the higher dose of the drug beyond the approved treatment
period of five days.
Yahoo
News August 25, 2004
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