People who take prescription drugs have the right to expect those drugs to help them with their health problems and be free from harmful defects. In addition, most people who want to quit smoking or using tobacco do so for their health. After all, smoking can cause a host of health problems, especially cardiovascular problems. However, many people who wanted to quit smoking have been exposed to a potentially unsafe drug that a recent study linked to heart problems.

For the past five years, Chantix has been a popular prescription drug used to help smokers quit, and about three million Americans presently take Chantix. Despite its wide usage, Chantix has previously been connected to health problems, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires Chantix to contain a boxed warning that warns patients of the risk of psychological side effects. In fact, there are about 2,000 product liability lawsuits related to the psychological effects of Chantix currently working their way through the federal court system.

In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration bans the use of Chantix among pilots because of an increased risk of blackouts. Recently, new research connected Chantix with an increased risk of irregular heartbeat, heart attack, and congestive heart failure.

The research was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and was based on an analysis of clinical trials. In the trials, 8,216 healthy people took either Chantix or a placebo. Of the 4,908 people who took Chantix, 1.06 percent of the people developed serious heart problems, compared with 0.82 percent of the people who took the placebo.

Based on this data, the researchers concluded that Chantix was associated with a 72 percent increased risk of serious heart problems.

Source: CNN, "Heart risks added to Chantix health concerns," Madison Park, 5 July 2011