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2007-9-3 23:17:44 |
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Taking cold remedies with an ingredient known as phenylpropanolamine (PPA) appears to significantly raise the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, particularly in women, according to a Korean study published in the January 9th issue of Neurology. Earlier studies, according to Dr. Byung-Woo Yoon, coauthor of the current study, of Seoul National University Hospital and colleagues, have discovered that appetite suppressants containing PPA elevate the risk of hemorrhagic stroke in young and middle-age women. The current study, Dr. Yoon told Reuters, finds that even small doses of PPA in cold remedies can raise the risk of hemorrhagic stroke significantly. In the study, the researchers investigated 940 patients with hemorrhagic stroke and controls to see if there is any association between use of cold remedies and hemorrhagic stroke risk. Those who were exposed to cold remedies with PPA were twice more likely to have stroke than controls. Also, the risk of stroke increased as the dose of PPA and the duration of treatment increased. More recent treatments with cold remedies posed higher risk. The stroke risk was increased by 4-fold in women, but not statistically significantly in men. The finding was in agreement with an earlier study of an appetite suppressant with PPA. |
