Regression and Progression of Valvulopathy Associated with Fenfluramine and Phentermine
Authors: Charles F. Dahl, Marvin R. Allen
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2002)

Letters19 March 2002Regression and Progression of Valvulopathy Associated with Fenfluramine and PhentermineCharles F. Dahl, MD and Marvin R. Allen, MDCharles F. Dahl, MDUtah Valley Regional Medical CenterProvo, UT 84604 and Marvin R. Allen, MDUtah Valley Regional Medical CenterProvo, UT 84604Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-136-6-200203190-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We read the reports by Mast and colleagues (1) and Weissman and coworkers (2) with interest. Because the combination of fenfluramine and phentermine ("fen-phen") was used extensively in our area, we have asked all patients presenting at our institution for echocardiography in the past 3.5 years about use of these drugs. Data from our registry have been reported elsewhere (3).One hundred twenty patients in our registry had follow-up echocardiography at least twice after cessation of fenfluramine–phentermine use. The mean age of these patients was 49 years, and the mean duration between echocardiograms was 10.6 months. Ninety-nine ...References1. Mast ST, Jollis JG, Ryan T, Anstrom KJ, Crary JL. The progression of fenfluramine-associated valvular heart disease assessed by echocardiography. Ann Intern Med. 2001;134:261-6. [PMID: 11182835] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Weissman NJ, Panza JA, Tighe JF, Gwynne JT. Natural history of valvular regurgitation 1 year after discontinuation of dexfenfluramine therapy. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2001;134:267-73. [PMID: 11182836] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Dahl CF, Allen MR, Jeffcoats JA. The prevalence of significant valvular regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension in 753 patients who took fenfluramine and phentermine in a community setting [Abstract]. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1999;33:549A. MedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Charles F. Dahl, MD; Marvin R. Allen, MDAffiliations: Utah Valley Regional Medical CenterProvo, UT 84604 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Progression of Fenfluramine-Associated Valvular Heart Disease Assessed by Echocardiography Steven T. Mast , James G. Jollis , Thomas Ryan , Kevin J. Anstrom , and Jack L. Crary Natural History of Valvular Regurgitation 1 Year after Discontinuation of Dexfenfluramine Therapy Neil J. Weissman , Julio A. Panza , John F. Tighe Jr. , and John T. Gwynne Metrics Cited byDrug-Induced Fibrosing LesionsFenfluraminesAdverse effects of benfluorex on heart valves and pulmonary circulationIncreased Risk of Left Heart Valve Regurgitation Associated With Benfluorex Use in Patients With Diabetes MellitusBenfluorex (Mediator®) et atteintes valvulairesHow can benfluorex-related heart valve disease be identified by echocardiography?Pharmacologic Therapies for ObesityADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF NON-CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGSThe Burden of Valvular Heart DiseaseValvular regurgitation and surgery associated with fenfluramine use: an analysis of 5743 individualsFenfluraminesSafety of Drug Therapies Used for Weight Loss and Treatment of ObesityCentral nervous system stimulants and drugs that suppress appetite 19 March 2002Volume 136, Issue 6Page: 489KeywordsDrugsEchocardiographyFood and Drug AdministrationMitral insufficiency ePublished: 19 March 2002 Issue Published: 19 March 2002 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2002 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...