|
Several pain medicines in the United States have
been linked to an increase in heart attacks and strokes. Pfizer Drug
Company says a new study shows that high levels of Celebrex increase the risk of heart
attack. Celebrex is a popular pain medicine for people who suffer from the
bone disease arthritis.
The company says it will continue to sell Celebrex. But, it will halt
all media advertisements about the drug. The company also says it will
continue to market Celebrex directly to doctors. Sales people from drug
companies often give free supplies of medicines to doctors. Doctors often
give them to their patients.
A recent study has also raised safety questions about the pain medicine
naproxen, sold as
Aleve. A study by the National
Institutes of Health says the drug can increase the risk of heart attacks
and strokes. The Bayer Group drug company makes Aleve. People can buy the
drug in stores without an order or prescription from their doctor.
Patients can also take a prescription form of the drug.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) says it is too
early to say what action might be taken on Celebrex and Aleve. The agency
can legally remove, or recall, a harmful product from the marketplace. Or
a drug company can withdraw a product. This happened in September when
Merck and Company stopped selling its popular arthritis pain medicine
called Vioxx. A study by Merck showed that heart attacks were almost two
times as common among Vioxx users as among those who did not take the
drug.
The recall of Vioxx has led to criticism about the F.D.A. Richard
Graham is a drug safety expert with the agency. Last month, he told a
Senate committee that the F.D.A. poorly supervised the approval of Vioxx.
Doctor Graham said his agency denied evidence that Vioxx was unsafe. He
also said the F.D.A. is unwilling to admit possible safety problems with
drugs that it has already approved.
Safety concerns about Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve may lead doctors to
consider another form of pain treatment. Two new studies show that
traditional Chinese acupuncture eased the suffering of
people with pain in their knees caused by arthritis. Acupuncture involves
placing thin needles in the skin at special parts of the body.
This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Jill Moss. I'm
Gwen Outen.
| 
