Phenylpropanolamine in drugs could be a risk for stroke. Researchers compared 702 patients aged 18 to 49 years who had experienced a hemorrhagic stroke with 1376 patients in a control group. The groups contained too few men to draw a conclusion, however, the risk of stroke in women was 15 times higher in those who had taken appetite suppressants in the three days before the stroke. For women using drugs with phenylpropanolamine for the first time, the risk of hemorrhagic stroke was three times higher than for other women. Criticism of the study has been voiced by epidemiologists on behalf of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association who say the study is flawed in design and inconclusive and including too few subjects to draw a meaningful conclusion.
Survey reveals extent of Irish doctors' dissatisfaction.
The Irish Medical Organization, which represents the majority of doctors in Ireland, conducted the survey report that was based on one-third of the IMO's membership. Overwork, stress and underfunding of health services are also major contributors to physicians' dissatisfaction. These centers tended to be unlicensed and run by older women with less access to pediatricians. Eighty-three deaths occurred in the homes of relatives, such as aunts or grandmothers. Poor ambulance response causes 700 deaths annually in Ireland.