Quoted from http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20121214/PRIME01/312150017/Stop-smoking-drug-Chantix-may-carry-heart-risks-FDA-warns
Stop-smoking drug Chantix may carry heart risks, FDA warns
12:10 PM, Dec 14, 2012 |
Robert Preidt
HealthDay
People who take the prescription quit-smoking drug Chantix may be at higher risk for cardiovascular problems, and doctors should weigh the risks of the drug against it benefits, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
A major review of clinical trials that compared patients who took Chantix (varenicline) to patients who took a placebo found that those who took the drug had slightly higher rates of serious cardiovascular events such as nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke and cardiovascular-related death, according to an FDA drug safety communication .
However, the increased risk among people taking Chantix was not statistically significant, which means that it is unclear whether their increased risk was due to the drug or due to chance, the agency added.
[Article continues at original source]