HEALTH REPORT – Safety Questions About Drugs

HEALTH REPORT – Safety Questions About Drugs
By Jill Moss¹

Broadcast: Wednesday, December 22, 2004

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

Several pain medicines in the United States have been linked to an increase in heart attacks and strokes. Pfizer Drug Company says a new study shows that high levels of Celebrex increase the risk of heart attack. Celebrex is a popular pain medicine for people who suffer from the bone disease arthritis².

The company says it will continue to sell Celebrex. But, it will halt all media advertisements about the drug. The company also says it will continue to market Celebrex directly to doctors. Sales people from drug companies often give free supplies of medicines to doctors. Doctors often give them to their patients.

A recent study has also raised safety questions about the pain medicine naproxen, sold as Aleve. A study by the National Institutes of Health says the drug can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The Bayer Group drug company makes Aleve. People can buy the drug in stores without an order or prescription³ from their doctor. Patients can also take a prescription form of the drug.

The United States Food and Drug Administration says it is too early to say what action might be taken on Celebrex and Aleve. The agency can legally remove, or recall, a harmful product from the marketplace. Or a drug company can withdraw a product. This happened in September when Merck and Company stopped selling its popular arthritis pain medicine called Vioxx. A study by Merck showed that heart attacks were almost two times as common among Vioxx users as among those who did not take the drug.

The recall of Vioxx has led to criticism about the F.D.A. Richard Graham is a drug safety expert with the agency. Last month, he told a Senate committee that the F.D.A. poorly supervised the approval of Vioxx. Doctor Graham said his agency denied evidence that Vioxx was unsafe. He also said the F.D.A. is unwilling⁴ to admit possible safety problems with drugs that it has already approved.

Safety concerns about Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve may lead doctors to consider another form of pain treatment. Two new studies show that traditional Chinese acupuncture⁵ eased the suffering of people with pain in their knees caused by arthritis. Acupuncture involves placing thin needles in the skin at special parts of the body.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Jill Moss. I'm Gwen Outen.

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 arthritis   

n.关节炎

参考例句：

• Rheumatoid arthritis has also been linked with the virus.风湿性关节炎也与这种病毒有关。
• He spent three months in the hospital with acute rheumatic arthritis.他患急性风湿性关节炎，在医院住了三个月。

3 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

4 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

5 acupuncture   

n.针灸，针刺法，针疗法

参考例句：

• Written records show that acupuncture dates back to the Song Dynasty.文字记载表明，宋朝就已经有了针灸。
• It's known that acupuncture originated in China.众所周知，针灸起源于中国。