Medical journal editors question sale of diet pill; study shows it raises heart risks in some

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Journal editors question sale of diet pill Meridia

NEW YORK — Editors of a top medical journal are questioning whether the diet pill Meridia should stay on the market even if it’s restricted to people without heart disease.

A new study shows the appetite suppressant raises the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with heart problems.

The strongly worded editorial in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine comes two weeks before government advisers review the prescription drug.

The weight-loss pill has already been pulled in Europe and U.S. drug regulators have added stronger warnings to the label.

The maker of the diet pill, Abbott Laboratories, says it’s still appropriate for obese people who don’t have heart disease and who can’t lose weight through diet and exercise.