FDA Adds Heart Attack Warning to Meridia Containers

Meridia now has a heart attack warning on the label. Obesity is a problem in the United States that seems to continually be getting worse. More and more people need help losing weight before any of the serious health problems that often accompany obesity begin to affect their lives. One of the most popular medications that’s been used to help people with obesity lose weight is a drug known as Meridia, which is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories.

Unfortunately, many different reports from consumers regarding the development of Meridia side effects have surfaced in recent years. These reports have led to additional studies, the need for help from Meridia side effects lawyers and ultimately action by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Meridia Side Effects Lawyers – An Overview of Previous Problems

Even though an estimated 8 million people around the world have used Meridia in conjunction with a new diet and an exercise program to help them lose weight, recent years have featured reports of Meridia side effects in many places. Generally, these side effects were seen as serious, and they included:

• Cardiac valve dysfunction
• Heart attacks
• Heart valve damage
• Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)
• Death

While heart problems are always serious, PPH was seen as the most problematic Meridia side effect because it’s a condition that’s otherwise rare and because its symptoms are similar to other, much less serious health problems. Therefore, many people contracted PPH without realizing it, and the progression of this disease has proven to be fatal in some patients.

Meridia Side Effects Lawyers – The New Step from the FDA

Even though the emergence of these problems brought about reactions on several levels by Meridia side effects lawyers and public advocacy groups, the FDA had largely stayed out of the issue until the completion of a study that was meant to help the medical and regulatory communities determine how to proceed in regards to Meridia. The preliminary results of this study are starting to be released, and it seems that those results indicate that patients with any history of heart problems could face an unreasonably high risk of suffering from a heart attack if they use Meridia.

As a result of this conclusion, the FDA has announced that all containers of Meridia must now include a warning on the label that clearly states that those patients with a history of heart problems face this risk of a heart attack if they use Meridia. This is generally known as a ‘Black Box’ warning, and it’s one of the most serious regulatory steps that the FDA can take short of a full recall.

Meridia Side Effects Lawyers – How to Proceed

It seems that as more time passes, more problems seem to arise in terms of Meridia side effects. If you or someone you love has used Meridia in an effort to fight obesity and you’ve suffered as a result, you need to contact the Meridia side effects lawyers at the law firm of Phillips Law Group as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation. The firm has decades of collective experience in helping those harmed by defective drugs successfully protect and enforce their legal rights. Contact the team of personal injury lawyers at Phillips Law Group today.