Diet Pills Redux

Between 1967 and 1972, there was a serious outbreak of primary pulmonary hypertension in Western Europe, which was traced to the use of an appetite-suppressant drug, aminorex (Menocil), which had been introduced in Europe shortly before.

Abstract

Between 1967 and 1972, there was a serious outbreak of primary pulmonary hypertension in Western Europe.1 The incidence of the disorder among patients seen at major cardiac catheterization centers in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria increased by a factor of 10. This unusual epidemic was traced to the use of an appetite-suppressant drug, aminorex (Menocil), which had been introduced in Europe shortly before. The drug was quickly withdrawn from the market, but not before it had resulted in substantial morbidity and a mortality rate of 50 percent among affected patients. Postmortem examinations in fatal cases disclosed obstructive lesions in the muscular . . .