Product News and Recalls

Federal agency releases information on strokes

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released some statistics about stroke rates over the last several years.

Strokes are frequently caused by blood clots breaking off and traveling to the brain. According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors for blood clots include a family history of clots, long periods of immobility, pregnancy and use of birth control pills.

While most birth control pills can increase the risk of blood ...

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Complications possible with hip replacement

According to the Mayo Clinic, hip replacement surgery is generally safe. But as with any surgery, complications can occur. Some complications are serious. But fortunately, most can be treated successfully.

Potential complications from hip replacement include:

  • Blood clots: Clots can form in leg veins as a result of decreased movement after surgery, as well as from pressure on the veins during surgery. Doctors usually give blood-thinning medications after surgery to try to ...
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Study: SSRI antidepressants a mortality risk

A study by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge finds that critically ill patients were more likely to die if they were taking commonly prescribed antidepressants before being admitted to the intensive care unit.

Specifically, the research examined the class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

According to a report on the study ...

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Pfizer issues recall of pain reliever

Pfizer Inc. has recalled more than 650,000 bottles of Advil pain-relief medicine because of the potential for a strong odor in the product, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reports that Pfizer issued the voluntary recall of eight lots of Advil Liqui-Gels bottles to retail-distribution centers only, not at the consumer level. The recall was issued because an element of the manufacturing process “may have caused a stronger odor in the product,” according to a notice posted this week ...

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FDA panel votes against Xarelto because information missing

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel has voted against approving Johnson & Johnson’s blood thinner Xarelto for prevention of blood clots in people with acute coronary syndrome.

According to U.S. News and World Report, the 6-to-4 decision came as a surprise because an FDA briefing document filed Monday in advance of the ruling gave the drug a favorable assessment.

But panel members reportedly said company studies did not provide enough ...

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Short-term birth control most likely to fail

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found more U.S. women had unplanned pregnancies while using short-acting birth control methods such as pills, patches and vaginal rings, compared to long-term reversible contraception methods including intrauterine devices (IUDs), hormone shots and skin implants.

According to a Reuters report, the study involved 7,500 women and teens in the St. Louis area.

Among about 1,500 women who chose to use a contraceptive ...

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