Meridia

10/10/10
Article Research Paper
Meridia: Is the risk worth it
Meridia (Sibutramine) is one of the many diet pills out there on the market that promise help with weight loss. It is becoming increasingly aware, however, that the pill will increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes, especially in people with cardiovascular disease. Taken with the fact that the potential for weight loss is pretty small, the question rises whether it’s worth it to be on the market. I could not help but think about my Aunt after reading an article on this extensive study done with Meridia patients. My Aunt passed away a while ago from a brain hemorrhage while taking Celebrex. Celebrex was known for serious increased chances for cardiovascular problems and gastrointestinal bleeding. While Celebrex was never taken off the market, similar drugs (Vioxx and Bextra) were. Celebrex was given a “black box” warning, the strongest warning the FDA can give to doctors prescribing the drug. The case was made that while the risks for Celebrex are great, they don’t outweigh the incredible relief it provides to the few serious arthritis sufferers who aren’t prone to the side effects. I wondered whether Meridia should have the same view from the FDA.
This study that showed the scary side effects of Meridia was actually done by Meridia’s makers, Abbott Labratories, on over 10,000 obese or overweight older people. “Patients on Meridia lost about nine pounds in the first year; those who received placebos lost about four pounds. The Meridia patients suffered 28 percent more heart attacks and 36 percent more strokes, although there was no difference in heart-related deaths” (Harris). The European Medicine’s Agency already removed Meridia from the European Market after seeing the preliminary results from the study. However, the Food and Drug Administration decided to only add a label to the drug stating it should not be used with patients with a history of cardiovascular disease. The problem,...