Research Conducted at University of Lubeck Has Updated Our Knowledge about Agranulocytosis (Metamizole and the risk of drug-induced agranulocytosis and neutropenia in statutory health insurance data)

2019 DEC 16 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Leukocyte Diseases and Conditions - Agranulocytosis. According to news reporting out of Lubeck, Germany, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “The non-opioid analgesic metamizole (dipyrone) is used for the treatment of acute and chronic pain and fever. Agranulocytosis is known as a serious adverse drug reaction of metamizole with potentially fatal outcome.”

Financial support for this research came from Federal Joint Committee.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Lubeck, “However, its frequency is controversially discussed. The aim of our study was to determine the risk of metamizole-associated agranulocytosis and neutropenia using statutory health insurance data. We analyzed data from a large German health insurance fund in the period from 2010 to 2013. Metamizole-exposed subjects were identified and compared to a propensity score-matched control cohort. A total of 630,285 metamizole-treated subjects and 390,830 matched control subjects were included. In the metamizole cohort, ICD codes for agranulocytosis and neutropenia appeared more often than in non-users. The relative risk for drug-induced agranulocytosis and neutropenia (D70.1) was 3.03 (95% confidence interval, 2.49 to 3.69). The risk for developing drug-induced agranulocytosis and neutropenia after metamizole prescription was 1:1602 (CI 95%, 1:1926 to 1:1371). Our results confirm the risk estimation of previous studies. However, the outcome of our study may be confounded by an association of metamizole treatment and chemotherapy.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Therefore, consequences for treatment have to be drawn with care.”

For more information on this research see: Metamizole and the risk of drug-induced agranulocytosis and neutropenia in statutory health insurance data. Naunyn-schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, 2019;():. Naunyn-schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology can be contacted at: Springer, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA. (Springer - www.springer.com; Naunyn-schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology - http://www.springerlink.com/content/0028-1298/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting M. Schwaninger, Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lubeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 236562, Lubeck, Germany. Additional authors for this research include R. Pflock, I.R. Konig, R. Linder and M. Schwaninger.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-019-01774-4. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal Naunyn-schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology is: Springer, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA.

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