Phenylpropanolamine increases stroke risk
The drugs on your pharmacy shelves will start to take on a new look as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) attempts to remove phenylpropanolamine from all drug products. The FDA asks companies that market products containing phenylpropanolamine to voluntarily discontinue marketing them. This public health advisory follows studies by scientists at Yale University School of Medicine linking risk of hemorrhagic stroke in women with use of the compound. This risk was observed in women using phenylpropanolamine for weight loss and for nasal decongestion, during the first three days of drug product use. Men may also be at risk.
While the FDA says that the risk of hemorrhagic stroke is low with phenylpropanolamine use, indications for the drug do not justify any degree of stroke risk. Manufacturers of drug products containing phenylpropanolamine are being asked by the FDA to discontinue marketing of the products voluntarily, and health care workers are urged to counsel patients about the risk associated with use of the products. (For further information on this subject, see www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/default.htm.)
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