|
Fosamax linked with irregular heartbeat risk |
|
Thursday, 03 May 2007 |
Two new studies have suggested a link between the osteoporosis drug Fosamax and an increased risk of irregular heart rhythms. The studies were published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In the first study, Dr. Steven Cummings of the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute reviewed the results of 1997 Fosamax study sponsored by the drug’s manufacturer, Merck. Dr. Cummings found that women who took Fosamax in the study were 50% more likely to suffer a Fosamax side effect known as atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart beat that can lead to stroke.
While the results of this study were not definitive in proving a link between Fosamax and an irregular heartbeat, the second study of a drug in the same class as Fosamax offered additional evidence that this was the case. Researchers in the study analyzed the effectiveness of a new drug, Reclast, at treating bone-thinning osteoporosis. They found that women taking Reclast were more than twice as likely to suffer an irregular heart beat as other women in the study.
In addition to the potential link between Fosamax and an irregular heartbeat, it has also been linked with a serious condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). When this Fosamax side effect occurs, blood flow to the bones of the jaw is interrupted, leading to the death of tissue and the eventual collapse of the jaw. Many patients have filed Fosamax lawsuits when they developed ONJ lawsuits after using the drug. |