FDA Approves New Blood Thinner

[OCNaturalDoc]

Late Friday, the FDA announced that they were approving a new drug -- Effient, Eli Lilly's new blood thinner -- even though this drug comes with extremely dangerous and potentially deadly risks.

The drug is so dangerous that the FDA has technically approved it only for specific patients, people getting angioplasty. Here's the catch: In the study the approval was based on, patients taking Effient faced "a greater risk of significant, sometimes fatal bleeding" when compared to Plavix, a top-selling blood thinner. On top of that, patients who'd already had strokes faced a higher risk of suffering another stroke if they took Effient.

Are the risks worth it? Nope. Not at all. Because while Effient slightly reduced the risk of non-fatal heart attacks, the number of deaths was "similar" with both drugs. So Effient doesn't really work better, and it increases your risk of repeat stroke and fatal bleeding.

Bottom line: If you're heading for angioplasty, make sure the doctor doesn't use Effient.

For information regarding the FDA announcement, go to:

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm171497...

Source: Health Sciences Institute
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LNH Note: It's challenging to keep up with pharmaceutical news when there are so many drugs introduced to the market with such frequency. We're not anti-pharm. Rather, we encourage everyone to start and maintain a vibrant health plan for themselves and those they care about to aid in the reduction of or eliminate the need for synthetics in the body.

The care you give yourself today is the health you'll create for your lifetime.

OC

[OCNaturalDoc]

Note: there is no PDR page for Effient at this time.

[OCNaturalDoc]

1greatlady,
first, no one ever died from high cholesterol.

second, "acceptable" cholesterol levels have been played around with in recent years. allopaths now also combine HDL and LDL levels, which will not give a true read. those numbers need to be separate...LDL should be low and HDL should be high.

it's rare when high cholesterol is hereditary...it's usually more about a diet high in saturated fats and calories combined with little or no exercise. unfortunately, companies manufacture processed foods with lots of additives that contribute to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and more.

also, an elevated cholesterol level could be associated with hypothyroidism or diabetes.
http://www.healthsquare.com/highcholesterol2.htm

low blood pressure, if consistent, usually isn't a problem unless you experience fainting or dizziness.
low bp can also be indicative of a low thyroid function.

[KonaCal]

Unfortunately when dealing with pharmaceutical companies and new treatments, its all about the money and the politics. It doesn't really matter what is best for the people, especially the ones that can't afford to pay. Its sad that the insurance companies run the health care industry.

[emilysghost]

There are several injectable blood thinners on the market already. They are all risky but I suppose if you are at high risk for clots then ................

[John Dalhouse]

government collapsing? trying to save (US) money?!