High cholesterol is a growing and serious public health issue, and according to the American Heart Association, more than 100 million people in the United States have cholesterol readings of 200 or higher, which is a daunting statistic. High cholesterol levels can lead to serious medical results, including heart failure and other long-term health problems.
As a result, several pharmaceutical companies have decided to jump into the realm of medication for this health condition, and billions of dollars have been spent towards research and development of medications to treat high cholesterol. Most companies have seen a positive return on this research, however, in that many individual cholesterol medications generate billions of dollars in revenue every year.
Even though many cholesterol medications have been beneficial to many patients, not all of them are without scrutiny, and in some cases extreme scrutiny based on the side effects to which they’ve been linked. Two such medications that fall within this realm are Vytorin and Zetia, which have been the subject of recent news reports for reasons that are not positive.
These drugs have come under fire for two reasons. The first is because they have been linked to serious side effects that include the possibility of extreme liver damage and rhabdomyolysis, a medical condition whereby the patient’s skeletal muscles progressively degenerate, ultimately leading to the death of a patient who does not get treatment.
The second reason for this scrutiny is because of the allegedly misleading television advertising that’s been promoting these two medications in recent years. Specifically, the commercials in question state that Vytorin and Zetia are more effective than other statins, or cholesterol drugs, even though studies have proven otherwise. One estimate states that over $180 million per year was spent on this advertising campaign.
Your Next Step if injured from Vytorin Zetia
If you or someone you love has suffered side effects as a result of taking either Vytorin or Zetia, or you’ve been spending needless extra money on these medications because you believed that they were the best options available to you based on the inundation of advertising that carried that specific message, you need to take action immediately.
Contact a defective drugs attorney as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation. You may have an injury claim for any side effects you suffered, and you may also have an opportunity to join a group of plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit designed to help those who have been misled by this advertising campaign.
Comments on This Topic:
There are 6 comments related to:
Defective Drugs: News, Statistics and Legal Guide.
| Janice says: | 2008-02-05 14:23:16 |
| my mom has high cholesterol and has taken Vytorin for a short time. She has now stopped. Can she still participate in the lawsuit? | |
| Nalini Cohen says: | 2008-02-15 17:22:13 |
| My husband Theodore is presently taking Vytorin and is constantly complaining of pain in his legs and hips, tiredness and muscle pain. What should we do? | |
| Cordia says: | 2008-03-06 10:19:36 |
| I am currently taking Vytorin, should I stop? | |
| Leonard M Preston says: | 2008-03-31 09:07:13 |
| I have been taking Zetia along with Lipitor since 2004. Result: LDL levelwent down as compared to taking Lipitor alone. I have been taking Vytorin 10/40, and later 10/80 since June 2007. LDL level lowered. However, triglyceride level is somewhat higher now. Also, HDL level is worse as compared to one year ago. I am also experiencing frequent muscle pain due to cramps (legs and side muscles) | |
| John morrissey says: | 2008-03-31 14:06:03 |
| Been taking Vytorin for approx 1 year and my it seems to be doing me no good at all. Wake up with muscle cramps in my calves. Told my MD about this and he does nothing about it except to tell me what a great drug it is.I wonder how many free vacations, seminars,etc that the makers of this drug are paying for him to atend. Called his office today and told office that I stopped taking it and asked if he would call me and put me on another drug but so far, no call so I guess that he is really worried about my health.!!!! | |
| Cathy Powers says: | 2008-04-21 05:37:36 |
| My husband has been taking Zetia for almost four weeks. The last two weeks he thought he had the flu because he could barely stand up and/or walk due to terrible muscle pain. (he did not have other flu-type symptoms, just extreme weakness and pain.) He continued to get worse (his pain was a 10 on scale between 1-10) and could not hardly get out of bed or work. I researched Zetia as a last resort and was shocked with all the similar complaints I found, so he stopped taking the drug 2 nights ago, now pain is an 8 (out of 10). We are wondering what the long term effects of this drug will be. My husband NEVER complains usually, and has really been suffering with this. Thank you. | |
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