By Farhan Naqvi, Personal Injury Lawyer in Las Vegas
There are countless diet pills and supplements on the market today. Regulators do a fairly decent job of finding the ones that either fail to provide the benefits that are advertised or are actually hazardous to the health of their users. But this month, authorities recommended the recall of a diet drug that had been available for 13 years.
On October 8, the Food and Drug Administration ordered Abbott Laboratories to remove the popular obesity medication Meridia from the market. The drug has been available since 1997 and was prescribed for individuals who were severely overweight.
But recent research showed a link to dangerous cardiovascular side effects in certain populations. A study of about 10,000 high risk patients revealed that those who used Meridia were 16% more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke.
Meridia was pulled off of the European market in January because of these health concerns. For its part, Abbott insists that the medication is safe and effective. But the FDA said that it does not feel that the benefits of Meridia outweigh the risks.
The active ingredient in Meridia is called sibutramine, which is also found in a diet supplement known as Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules. The FDA has also stated that it has received reports of serious side effects stemming from this diet treatment. But because these capsules are a supplement and not a medication, the FDA does not have the power to pull them from store shelves.
If you feel that you have been suffering from side effects from Meridia, Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules, or any other medication or supplement, you may want to consider contacting a product liability attorney.
About the Editor: Farhan R. Naqvi is a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who has experience representing victims injured in car accidents, drunk driver crashes, truck wrecks, slip and falls, taxi cab accidents, and bicycle crashes. He also has experience handling spine injury, product liability, underinsured/uninsured driver, and wrongful death cases. If you’ve been seriously hurt in an accident in Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson, Boulder City, Green Valley, or Pahrump, give Farhan a call at 702-553-1000 for a free, no-hassle consultation.