Aspirin is no longer recommended for primary prevention of heart attacks due to emerging evidence of increased risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage (still recommended for secondary prevention)
- https://connect.uclahealth.org/2022/04/26/daily-aspirin-no-longer-recommended-to-prevent-heart-disease/
- https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20220427/aspirin-no-longer-recommended-prevent-heart-attack-stroke
- https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj.n2521
Several medications have been recalled in recent years due to concerns of carcinogenic effects not previously known
- Ranitidine withdrawn from market
- ARB’s recalled from market (ARB’s are common BP medications)
- FDA’s own list of recalls (371 entries)
- RotaShield vaccine was pulled from market in 1999 (association with fatal intussusception)
Swine flu vaccine halted
- https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200918-the-fiasco-of-the-us-swine-flu-affair-of-1976
- https://www.history.com/news/swine-flu-rush-vaccine-election-year-1976
- https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/13/archives/swine-flu-prograrm-is-halted-in-9-states-as-3-die-after-shots.html
- https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-27-sci-swine-history27-story.html
Recent published data confirms the benefits of statin medications in preventing heart disease may have been over stated
- https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20220314/metaanalysis-questions-strength-of-ties-between-statininduced-ldl-lowering-cv-outcomes
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2790055
- “The study results suggest that the absolute benefits of statins are modest, may not be strongly mediated through the degree of LDL-C reduction, and should be communicated to patients as part of informed clinical decision-making as well as to inform clinical guidelines and policy.”
Thalidomide
- “Sixty years ago (2 December 1961) the sedative drug thalidomide was withdrawn from use in the UK. After being on the market for five years as a treatment for morning sickness in pregnant women, it had finally been established that the medicine was responsible for babies being born with underdeveloped arms and legs and other malformations.”
- US FDA Frances Oldham is now hailed for her bravery in refusing to approve thalidomide in the US
“In the annals of modern medicine, it was a horror story of international scope: thousands of babies dead in the womb and at least 10,000 others in 46 countries born with severe deformities.”
Beta blockers were initially not recommended in heart failure but are now standard of care
Clopidogrel was previously recommended for patients with STEMI (particular type of heart attack) but this indication was subsequently removed