Jim Flaherty's steroid use

[masen]

It is probable that another drug has taken someone's life. One side effect of Prednisone is complete stoppage of the heart. It is a sad day when someone's life is taken at his age.

[grammafreddy]

link?

[oneh2obabe]

Former finance minister Jim Flaherty, who died Thursday of a massive heart attack, had suffered from a blistering skin disease, bullous pemphigoid, and had been treated with the steroid prednisone.

In January 2013 his office announced the news of his dermatological condition because his bloated appearance, a side effect of the prednisone, had raised questions about his health.

The auto-immune disease is not associated with heart attacks, say doctors, although long-term, high-dose use of prednisone can have complicating effects including increased blood pressure.

“The drugs can cause serious problems, not the disease,” says Dr. Paul Cohen of the Rosedale Dermatology Centre in Toronto.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014 ... sure.html#