Do Vytorin’s Risks Outweigh Its Benefits?
Posted by Cara McDonough to findingDulcinea A new study reveals more flaws with cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin. Besides failing to improve certain cardiovascular conditions, the drug may raise the risk of cancer. The new study showed that the cholesterol drug Vytorin, created by pharmaceutical company Merck, failed to improve a heart valve condition called aortic stenosis, which, left untreated, can lead to serious heart problems. Perhaps more importantly, the study showed the drug may increase rates of cancer. In a study of more than 1,800 people, 93 people who took Vytorin developed cancer, compared with 65 in a control group, “a statistically significant difference,” according to Forbes. However, some researchers were quick to say the cancer finding was most likely an anomaly. Richard Peto, a statistician at Oxford University, said the idea that Vytorin could cause cancer was “a bizarre hypothesis.” Although the link between Vytorin and cancer remains uncertain, the study contrib
