Merck Joins Argument That Job Stress Causes Heart Attacks

Those of us who fear job related psychosocial stress can cause adverse health effects found an unlikely ally at Merck. Merck argued that knee pain, harassment over a disability claim and fear of job loss were equally plausible causes for a heart attack as Vioxx.

BrooklynDodger of course would regret Merck skating, but would buy these as heart attack risks.

The sin in Vioxx was marketing this drug to everyone, and not limiting marketing to those needing NSAID's who couldn't tolerate the cheap, over the counter stuff.


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http://today.reuters.com/business/newsArticle.aspx?type=ousiv&storyID=2005-10-31T190656Z_01_EIC145759_RTRIDST_0_BUSINESSPRO-MERCK-VIOXX-DC.XML


Merck lawyers give closing argument in Vioxx trial
Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:07 PM ET

By Jon Hurdle
ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey (Reuters) - Lawyers for Merck & Co Inc.on Monday began closing arguments in the second trial over the painkiller Vioxx by saying the plaintiff's heart attack was caused by other risk factors and not Merck's withdrawn medicine.
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Merck's lead attorney, Diane Sullivan, began her closing by listing factors that may have contributed to Humeston's heart attack.

Sullivan said Humeston was under "chronic stress" as a result of his knee pain and because of job-related pressure.

Humeston believed the postal service, where he had worked for 22 years, was attempting to force him to retire, Sullivan said.

She told the court that the postal service had sent a team of inspectors to make a video of Humeston working on his car in an attempt to prove he was not as disabled from his knee injury as he claimed he was.

Sullivan said the plaintiff's age -- he was 56 at the time of the attack -- was a potential risk factor for heart attack.
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