ABSTRACT
The association between valvular heart disease and diet pills was discovered several
years ago in a small cohort of patients. Subsequent uncontrolled surveys and reports
suggested a prevalence of cardiac abnormalities as high as 30%. These results led
to widespread concern by millions of appetite suppressant users and the withdrawal
of both fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine from the market. Through this review of the
literature, it becomes apparent that we have better defined the association between
valvular heart disease and appetite suppressants; nonetheless, many questions and
controversies remain. Most large scale, multicenter, controlled studies have shown
that a prevalence of significant valve regurgitation is between 2 and 12% and that
the likelihood of disease increases with increasing dose and/or duration of appetite
suppressant use, but several other issues, such as the mechanism of action, remain
unanswered.
KEY INDEXING TERMS
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Article info
Footnotes
Dr. Weissman was the principal investigator and primary author of a large, multicenter study on dexfenfluramine, which was sponsored by Wyeth-Ayerst Labs. He has no personal financial conflict of interest with any appetite suppressant manufacturer.
Identification
Copyright
© 2001 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
