Gadolinium drugs

[cah]

Don't know if this should be put in the "risks" sticky since it's not a risk especially of angioplasty or stents, but still something to consider, I think:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/09/1 ... ing-drugs/

Federal health regulators are warning doctors that a class of injectable drugs used in MRI medical imaging scans can cause a rare and sometimes fatal condition in patients with kidney disease. (...)

The new FDA labels for all seven drugs instruct physicians to screen patients for kidney disease before administering the agents. Doctors should also order lab tests for patients who may be at increased risk of reduced kidney function. The FDA said there haven't been any reports of the syndrome in patients with normal kidney function. (...)

So in the future your kidney will be checked before using contrast agents in the USA, but maybe not abroad.

[Merlyn]

There is a huge class-action lawsuit against this gadolinium causing kidney failure. Gadolinium is a heavy metal, very hard to get out of the body... zeolite will remove it, but they put such a quantity in, expect to have to chelate for some time in order to remove it.