Recent reports indicate that health regulators in various jurisdictions have taken action to withdraw or restrict certain medications after discovering serious cardiovascular risks associated with their use—even for drugs once considered safe. These warnings center on risks such as blood clots (thrombi), embolisms, strokes, and heart attacks tied to hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs, weight-loss treatments, and—in rare cases—therapies intended for COVID‑19. Patients and providers are being urged to stay alert, report side effects, and reassess treatment choices in consultation with medical professionals.
When a drug increases clotting risk, it can lead to dangerous outcomes such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or blockage of arteries to the brain or heart. While our bodies depend on the coagulation process to prevent excessive bleeding, abnormal clot formation inside veins or arteries can starve tissues of oxygen and cause organ damage or failure. Regulatory reviews of older withdrawn drugs show cardiovascular toxicity has been a leading reason for removal from the market over decades.
Certain medications come with heightened risk, especially when combined with other risk factors—high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, diabetes, or inherited clotting disorders. For example, in 2025 the FDA strengthened its boxed warning for fenfluramine (used in rare seizure disorders) to highlight the danger of valvular heart disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Meanwhile, in Europe, the EMA’s safety committee has expressed concern over long‑term cardiovascular risks linked to Mysimba (naltrexone / bupropion) and reviewed its status. In Germany, authorities also flagged this drug in communications to health professionals. The broader pattern underscores how evolving post‑market evidence can reveal hidden dangers, even for widely used medications.
Patients are strongly cautioned not to stop prescribed medications abruptly without medical guidance. Instead, they should proactively consult their physicians, discuss alternatives, and promptly report symptoms such as sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, limb swelling, severe headaches, or visual disturbances, which may signal clotting events. The key message is vigilance—balancing therapeutic benefits with safety, leveraging regulatory updates, and maintaining open communication between patients, doctors, and health authorities to protect against preventable harm.
