title: "Drug may have caused huge number of deaths": lessons learned during an encounter with The Fifth Estate.
abstract: A recent television program raised questions about how the media deal with complex medical issues. In this case, concerns about the safety of nifedipine and other calcium-channel blockers became the subject of an investigative report for a television program, which alleged that many patients were dying because of these drugs. The program prompted numerous calls to family physicians by patients concerned about the safety of their antihypertensive medications. Cardiologist Martin Myers believes the scientific community should respond when it believes reporting on medical and scientific issues has been biased and inaccurate.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002170:Canada; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D004345:Drug Industry; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011287:Prejudice; D013690:Television
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009543:Nifedipine