| What about Ephedra lawsuit ? :
Ephedra (also known as "Ma Huang") is a botanical
(i.e., plant) product that is a source of ephedrine alkaloids.
Ephedra is an amphetamine-like compound with potentially powerful
stimulant effects on the nervous system and heart. Some dietary
supplements in the US (promoted for uses such as weight loss,
body building, and increased energy) contain ephedrine alkaloids.
Recent updates on Ephedra Lawsuit
On June 14, 2002, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson announced new efforts to expand
scientific research on the safety of ephedrine alkaloids and
to aggressively pursue the illegal marketing of non-herbal
synthetic ephedrine alkaloid products.
HHS recently funded the RAND Corporation to conduct a comprehensive
review of the existing science on ephedrine alkaloids, particularly
those in dietary supplements. The review is projected to be
finished by early fall and, once complete, will clarify the
existing state of the science on ephedrine alkaloids. The
National Institutes of Health (NIH) will use this information
to guide an expanded research effort to better understand
the safety of ephedrine alkaloids.
More on Ephedra Lawsuit & Claims:
Ephedra can produce the following adverse reactions: heart
attack, stroke, tachycardia, paranoid psychosis, depression,
convulsions, coma, fever, vomiting, palpitations, hypertension,
seizures, respiratory depression and death. The research adds
to the long-standing controversy about the dietary supplement,
which is also marketed as an energy booster and treatment
for respiratory illness.
Ephedra & USFDA - At the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's
request, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco,
reviewed 140 reports of serious problems with ephedra-containing
products.
Among the ephedra problems they found:
- 43 cases were definitely or probably related to the supplements
- 44 cases were possibly related to the supplements
- 10 deaths
- 13 people who were left with permanent disabilities
- To date, the FDA has reported over 44 deaths and over
1000 serious side effects linked to Ephedrine.
On Ephedra Lawsuit - "The use of dietary supplements
does pose a health risk to some people," says Neal Benowitz,
MD, professor of medicine and chief of clinical pharmacology
at the University of California, San Francisco. "Just
because it's natural, doesn't mean it's safe." Benowitz
and postdoctoral researcher Christine Haller, MD, reviewed
the 140 reports of deaths or injuries the FDA received related
to ephedra. Researchers concluded that ephedrine use "definitely"
or "probably" caused harm in 31% of the cases. Of
these cases, three people died, seven suffered permanent injury
and four required ongoing medical treatment.
FIND OUT TODAY WHAT YOUR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT
LEGAL RIGHTS ARE, GET THE LEGAL ADVICE YOU & YOUR FAMILY DESERVE!
YOU may be entitled to gain financial compensation.
Click here to contact
a product liability lawyer in your area
Content Related to Topic
Related Information on Drug Products Liability
Find
a Lawyer
|
