Vioxx and Panic: Another Study Links Vioxx to Coronary Heart Disease
October 7, 2002
A report in the October 5th issue of The Lancet summarizes a recent study linking high doses of the arthritis medication Vioxx (rofecoxib) to the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). As part of their research, physicians from Vanderbilt University analyzed data from 375,000 patients enrolled in the Tennessee Medicaid program.
Over 24,000 people in the group, which included subjects 50 to 84 years old, used Vioxx, with 202,000 never using a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and 151,000 using other NSAIDs. Patients taking 50mg/day of Vioxx for longer than five days were 70 percent more likely to develop CHD than subjects who did not use the medication or used a different type. Although Merck & Company, Vioxx's maker, warns of this risk on the drug's safety label, researchers say many physicians are still unaware of the painkiller's prescribing limitations.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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