MERIDIA GUIDE

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) is a rare disease that has no known cure or known cause. While there is no known cause of the disease, there are a few medications that are associated with the disease. They are associated but are not a known cause because no one is quite sure how they trigger primary pulmonary hypertension.

PPH is a disease that manifests itself in an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. This is the main artery that takes blood from the heart to the lungs to be re-oxygenated before going to the rest of the body. This artery, when an individual has PPH, constricts which makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the lungs to be re-oxygenated. Eventually, this disease can lead to a failure of the right side of an individual heart.

PPH is a relatively rare disease. This is because a lot of cases of hypertension have known causes when they are seen in people. PPH does not. It has been linked, however, to the diet drugs Fen-Phen and Meridia as well as the diabetes drug Avandia.

Fen-Phen was the first drug to be pulled from the market because of concerns over Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. It was pulled from the shelves of pharmacies everywhere in September of 1997. Since then, there have been numerous settlements with various pharmaceutical companies. In addition to Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, Fen-Phen was linked to heart valve diseases, among other things.

Meridia was the next diet drug to be pulled from the shelves after it was linked to PPH. It was a diet drug similar to fen-phen and caused a lot of the same problems. This drug was introduced a few years after fen-phen was recalled and pulled off the shelves in 2001. In addition to causing PPH, it has been linked to a faster heart beat.

Avandia is the most recent drug that has been linked to PPH. It is a blockbuster diabetes medication that is designed to help an individual control his or her blood sugar levels more easily. It also helps an individual keep their blood sugar levels within an acceptable range with less fuss than other options. In addition to being linked to PPH, it was also linked to an increased risk of heart attack. This charge is still being disputed.

If you have taken any of these drugs ever, it is important to consult with your doctor at the earliest indication of PPH symptoms. PPH is a progressive disease which means that it gets worse as time goes on.