I’m sure that they’re in damage control mode after reading about how Vioxx increases heart attack risk.
Patients taking Merck & Co. Inc.’s Vioxx arthritis drug had a 50 percent greater chance of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death than individuals using Pfizer Inc.’s rival Celebrex medicine, according to a large study financed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. . .The study also found patients taking the highest recommended daily dosage of Vioxx had three times the risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death as those not taking standard painkillers.
The study will be published in the Lancet in a few weeks. I’m not able to find an abstract of the study (if someone can email me a link, it would be much appreciated). From what I gather, it’s an observational study – the weakest kind. I’ll have to read the actual study, but I’ll probably think twice about giving Vioxx to those who have, or are at high risk, for heart disease.
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{ 2 comments }
Hi Kevin, in case you haven’t had any info yet:
1. I can’t find the abstract that was presented at the meeting (which was this one: http://www.pharmacoepi.org/meetings/20thconf/index.cfm )
The only thing available on the site is the title:
59. Risk of Acute Cardiac Events among
Patients Treated with Cyclooxygenase-2
Selective and Non-Selective Nonsteroidal
Antiinflammatory Drugs [571]
David J Graham, David Campen, Craig
Cheetham, Rita Hui, Michele Spence,
Wayne A Ray. (United States)
2. This group already has a publication out from June this year on the use of the 50mg rofecoxib. See PMID 15170762 if interested. (it does not seem to involve looking at MI, just at the frequency of high dose rofecoxib prescription).
3. A Harvard group published a case-control study of 54,475 patients in Circulation in May, lloking at coxibs and AMI. They found “current rofecoxib use was associated with an elevated relative risk of AMI compared with celecoxib use and no NSAID use. Dosages of rofecoxib >25 mg were associated with a higher risk than dosages < or =25 mg. The risk was elevated in the first 90 days of use but not thereafter."
See PMID 15096449 for the money.
best,
I have been taking 25mg Vioxx since the product was approved.
I have also had Atrial Fib about once per week, usually starting at 3 Am and ususally ending about the time I hit exit 5 on the way to St. Joes Hospital, Nashua.
3 or 4 times it did not “break” until recorded.
I stopped using vioxx when I learned of this troubling issue and haven’t had a bout since. About 3 weeks.
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