PPH Lawyer

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension - How is Avandia Involved?

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, better known as "PPH," is a terrible medical condition that attacks a person's respiratory system and leaves debilitating results for everyone who contracts it. Over time, there has been no overriding cause identified with the onset of PPH, but recently, one product has been identified as a potential link to the development of PPH - the prescription drug Avandia.

Below is a look at PPH, what it does to a person, and how it's been alleged to have a link to Avandia. In the meantime, if you have suffered from PPH as a result of taking prescription medications, you need to contact a PPH lawyer at Williams Kherkher today to schedule a free initial consultation.

PPH - What It Does

PPH is a progressive disease that narrows the blood vessels in the lungs. This narrowing of the blood vessels leads to higher blood pressure. Eventually, people with high blood pressure experience serious heart problems if it goes untreated, and these heart problems include heart attacks and even strokes due to a lack of blood circulation to the brain.

PPH is an exceedingly rare disease, and perhaps the worst part is that the initial symptoms presented do not necessarily indicate a serious problem. These preliminary symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath, especially following exertion
• Chronic and excessive fatigue
• Dizziness
• Fainting and weakness
• Swelling of the ankles
• Chest pains

Of course, there are other symptoms, but the problem is that based on the conditions above, a person could go for years without being properly diagnosed, especially since PPH is so rare statistically.

Alleged Link to Avandia

Avandia is a prescription medication that's manufactured and distributed by GlaxoSmithKline. It has been on the market for several years, and for a time it enjoyed an enormous volume of sales. The purpose of Avandia is to help treat patients who suffer from type 2 diabetes, and it has generally been used in accordance with a total management plan that includes a strict diet and a regular exercise routine to help control the symptoms and effects of type 2 diabetes.

Ultimately, user complaints and statistics led to the FDA feeling the need to get involved, which it did twice in 2007. In February of 2007, the FDA announced that GlaxoSmithKline had issued a warning letter alerting doctors of the potential link between Avandia and PPH. Three months later, the FDA issued a safety alert that highlighted the link between users of Avandia and PPH and the resulting heart problems.

As of now, Avandia remains on the market, but if you have been harmed as a result of taking it, you do have legal rights to explore. Contact a PPH lawyer at Williams Kherkher to schedule a free initial consultation.