Popular Antibiotic Z-Pack Linked to Heart-related Deaths
It has been just shy of a year since the ever popular drug azithromycin, commonly known as Zithromax or Z-Pack for short, was implicated in cardiovascular-related deaths. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now issuing a warning after reviewing the Vanderbilt University Study released May, 2012. The FDA states that the warning is not a result of adverse event reports related to the drug. Still, interestingly, they have issued a warning.
Z-Pack’s are used to treat bacterial infections, clearing them up in a matter of days. In our busy culture, the Z-Pack club is going strong, and this “wonder pack” as it is endearingly known, seems to be the drug of choice. However, research has found that this immensely popular drug puts people prone to heart problems at two and a half times the risk of dying from cardiovascular problems than those who take another type of antibiotic. The Vanderbilt research compared Zithromax use to amoxicillin.
Antibiotic Overdrive
Those involved in the Vanderbilt study feel that physicians prescribe Zithromax over other drugs because it is easier to administer. Last year in America there were over 55 million prescriptions for the drug. The total sales for Zithromax in 2012 totaled over $460 million.
This raises another pertinent, and commonly asked, question in the great antibiotic debate, is Z-Pack potentially over prescribed? Many infections improve without antibiotics it just takes a little longer for our bodies to defend themselves. Most people are not thrilled about missing work, slowing down or skipping a beat when they are sick. They want to keep up their harried schedules, pop a few pills and “presto” they are all better.
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Every Day is Earth Day
2013-03-15 03:46:53
Source: http://www.riseearth.com/2013/03/popular-antibiotic-z-pack-linked-to.html
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