PPA in drugs bad for health – solon

PPA – not the controversial purchased power adjustment but phenylpropanolamine – is bad for your health, an opposition congressman warned the public yesterday.

Rep. Gilbert Remulla (LDP, Cavite) said phenylpropanolamine or PPA is a substance used in cold, cough, fever, nasal decongestant drugs, and some weight loss drugs that are sold over the counter in drugstores.

It is also being used as an ingredient for appetite suppressants and dietary aids, he said.

Remulla pointed out that the United States Food and Drugs Administration declared PPA as unsafe for human consumption after a study by Yale University researchers concluded that it can induce stroke and brain problems.

The researchers discovered that women aged 18 years to 49 years who take PPA-laden appetite suppressants are "as much as 15 times likely as other women to suffer hemorrhagic stroke –a type of stroke characterized by bleeding in the brain."

Men are also at risk, though they are less vulnerable than women, according to the study.

They blame up to 500 annual deaths in the US on the use of drugs containing the prohibited ingredients.

Remulla said taking the cue from the US FDA, Congress has decided to restrict or regulate the use of PPA.

The restriction is contained in Republic Act 9165, known as the Dangerous Drugs Law of 2002, he said. – Jess Diaz