Heart risks added to Chantix health concerns

CNN ^ | July 5, 2011 | Madison Park

[Eric Blair 2084]

A study published Monday in a Canadian journal concluded that smokers who take Chantix, one of the most popular smoking cessation drugs, could increase their risk of heart problems.

Chantix (varenicline) could raise the risk of heart attacks and irregular heartbeats, said one of the study authors, Dr. Sonal Singh, an assistant professor of general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The heart problems are the latest in a growing list of concerns raised by patient reports, lawsuits and studies since the drug's approval in 2006.

The drug could cause changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions, according to its warning label. Chantix carries a boxed warning -- the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's most restrictive safety labeling -- because of the risk of psychological events.

Chantix has been banned by the Federal Aviation Administration for pilots and air-traffic controllers because it may cause loss of consciousness and blackouts. Truck and bus drivers are also not allowed to take the drug.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Dr. Michael Siegel of the Boston University Skool of Pubik Health has more on the unholy alliance between Big PhRma and the money driven agenda that risks everyone's life for profit.

FDA Warns Public of Heart Attack Risks Associated with Chantix; No Anti-Smoking Groups Inform Their Constituents

On June 16, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public that Chantix appears to be associated with a small, but significant increase in heart attacks among patients with existing heart disease treated with the drug for smoking cessation.

According to the FDA's statement: "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is notifying the public that the smoking cessation aid Chantix (varenicline) may be associated with a small, increased risk of certain cardiovascular adverse events in patients who have cardiovascular disease. This safety information will be added to the Warnings and Precautions section of the Chantix physician labeling. The patient Medication Guide will also be revised to inform patients about this possible risk. FDA reviewed a randomized clinical trial of 700 smokers with cardiovascular disease who were treated with Chantix or placebo ... Cardiovascular adverse events were infrequent overall, however, certain events, including heart attack, were reported more frequently in patients treated with Chantix than in patients treated with placebo."

While the statement cautions that physicians must weigh the benefits of quitting smoking versus any increased risk of cardiovascular events that may be caused by Chantix, the study data do not reveal any net benefit of Chantix-associated smoking cessation. If reduced heart attacks associated with smoking cessation outweighed the increased heart attacks caused by Chantix, then there should have been a lower incidence of non-fatal heart attacks in the treated (Chantix) group. This was not the case. The non-fatal myocardial infarction rate over the one-year follow-up period of the study was 0.9% in the placebo group and 2.0% in the Chantix-treated group.

Thus, within this one year period, the clinical trail failed to demonstrate any net benefit of Chantix in terms of preventing heart attacks within the first ten months of quitting smoking using Chantix.

The Rest of the Story

The rest of the story is that while each of the following groups has called for the removal of electronic cigarettes from the market because of the hypothetical possibility that these devices could have adverse effects - but in the absence of even a single reported serious adverse event - none of these groups have similarly called for the removal of Chantix from the market, nor have they even informed their constituents on their web sites about this new critical information about Chantix-associated severe side effects, even though there are now hundreds of reported suicides and a number of heart attacks associated with Chantix use.

The groups are: the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Action on Smoking and Health, The American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Legacy Foundation.

These groups have three things in common:

1. Each has called for the removal of electronic cigarettes from the market, despite the absence of even a single severe adverse reported event

2. Each has refused to call for the removal of Chantix from the market, despite the presence of hundreds of cases of suicides associated with the use of the drug, and now with clear evidence of an increase in heart attacks associated with drug use and no net benefit of the drug in one-year reduction in myocardial infarction

3. Each has refused (from the best of my internet review) to even display the information from last week's FDA statement about the risks of Chantix.

Actually, the groups have an important fourth thing in common:

4. They all have or have had financial associations with Pfizer, the manufacturer of Chantix.

I am not in this commentary calling on the removal or non-removal of Chantix from the market. What I am calling for, however, is consistency in the way in which public health groups evaluate and analyze public health policy issues. Systematic bias should not be a part of the public health evaluation of policy, and such a systematic bias should never enter into the picture because of financial conflicts of interest, especially ones which are not readily disclosed.

http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2011/06/fda-warns-public.html

[Eric Blair 2084]

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We the People Sheeple of the United States Nanny State, in Order to form a more perfect Union Socialist Utopia, establish Justice Socially engineer a country of non smoking, physically fit, seat belt and helmet wearing teetotalers, ensure domestic Tranquility Smoking bans in bars, limits on unhealthy food and social drinking, provide for the common defense Universal Healthcare, promote the general Welfare health of the population whether they like it or not, in order to save above mentioned Universal Healthcare entitlement program from bankruptcy, and secure the Blessings of Liberty Dependency to ourselves progressive liberals and our Posterity Hitler Youth who we brainwash through public school education, do ordain decree and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Nanny State of Liberals.

[cmsgop]

Chantix saved my life in so many ways, I had none of these side effects but my dreams were amazing.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Chantix (varenicline) could raise the risk of heart attacks

More than smoking itself? If not, I don't see the problem.

[Eric Blair 2084]

More than smoking itself? If not, I don't see the problem.

You're a smart guy. Read. If afterwards you still need me to provide you with the Cliff Notes version I will.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Chantix saved my life in so many ways, I had none of these side effects but my dreams were amazing.

In the interest of full disclosure, my mother in law quit smoking using Chantix 4 years ago. She still has OCD and walks around behind me and the kids with a vacuum when we drop crumbs from a bag of Fritos.

Is there a pill for that?

[Drill Thrawl]

Chantix saved my life in so many ways, I had none of these side effects but my dreams were amazing.

Ditto.

I found most the issue were due to nicotine withdrawl. I tried it a few years ago and the first month was brutal. I am on it now in conjunction with the patch and it has been smooth sailing.

[cibco]

I had the same experience. Most entertaing dreams of my life.

[ColdSteelTalon]

With a name like “Chantix” you know some new-ager came up with that... :)

[Gabz]

It’s good to see Doc Siegel still going after these charlatans. He is the only one in the anti-smoker brigade that has even a shred of decency or honesty. I may rarely agree with him, but I have always respected him..........I can’t say that for any other one of those cretins.

[Eric Blair 2084]

You shouldn’t need the patch and Chantix.

You were supposed to keep smoking until it was no fun. The drug shuts down the pleasure receptors in the brain.

[Eric Blair 2084]

BTW, if other sheeple are like you and will buy two Pfizer products that only work 8% of the time, than I might have to buy the stock while it’s in it’s in the teens.

Let me know.

[Adder]

any net benefit of Chantix in terms of preventing heart attacks within the first ten months of quitting smoking using Chantix.

Chantix’s purpose has nothing to do with preventing heart attacks. It is an aid to stop smoking.

I used it. It worked. Period, end of story. Made quitting the easiest thing I ever did.

[Eric Blair 2084]

He’s an anti-smoking public health professor. But he is honest.

His colleagues are in it for the money and sponsored by grantsfrom Big PhRma to increase the sales of their gums, patches and nicotine lozenges.

Statists and central planners never see the human engenuity and technology coming until it hits them in the forehead like a shovel.

They (big PhRma) spent all of these millions of dollars to pass smoking bans and coerce citizens to quit smoking and they never saw electronic cigarettes coming. Neither did I. But they are great!

Human brilliance beats Statism, lies and authoritarianism....AGAIN!!!!

[Mathews]

Worked for me too. 3 years smoke free! I tried just about everyrthing too. Wicked dreams though.

[Gabz]

I’m fully aware of Mike’s credentials, we’ve known each other for years.

His so-called colleagues have ostracized him and consider him to be more one of us than one of them.

As to the Chantix, of the folks I know who used it, it only worked for one. Everyone else had to get off of it. Couldn’t stand the side effects.

[Eric Blair 2084]

The hundreds of suicides and violent assaults and psychosis are just collateral damage. As long as Big PhRma, research scientists and Gubmint gets rich it’s all ok.

Until they come after our daughters Girl Scout cookie sales. Then I’m looking for you to tear them a new one Gabz.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

They are already going after Girl Scout cookies with the new food labeling guidelines. Better get your Samoans and Lemon Cremes before Moochelle and Fat Lisa Jackson eat them all.

[Adder]

Still?

I had a few while on the medication. Any side effects dissipated when I stopped taking it.

[Cobra64]

Wicked dreams though.

My doctor prescribed Chantrix for me but I'm a little scared to take it since I've heard horror stories about the side effects.

For those of you who had dreams, were they nightmares, good dreams, bad dreams, or bizzaro dreams...?