An ingredient found in many over-the-counter cold medicines and diet pills has been found to increase the risk of stroke among young women, experts said.

Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is an active ingredient found in products such as Dexatrim and Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine and has been around for a very long time, said Marc Shulman, staff physician at the ISU Student Health Center.

“PPA is an effective decongestant because it constricts blood vessels in the nose, reducing swelling,” said Tim Cmelik, pharmacy manager at the Student Health Center.

The substance also is an active ingredient in diet pills because it increases metabolism and neurotransmitters that decrease appetite, Cmelik said.

However, these benefits are diminished by research reported in a New England Journal of Medicine article relating the consumption of drugs containing PPA to increased incidence of hemorrhagic stroke in women ages 18 to 46, Shulman said.

“A hemorrhagic stroke is when there is bleeding in the brain,” Shulman said. “It is not the kind of stroke you get better from.”

As a result of this study, the Food and Drug Administration recently announced that any drug containing PPA is unsafe, and it was recommended they be taken off the shelf, Shulman said. “This decision was a no-brainer for the FDA,” Cmelik said. “The claim is for real — there is potential danger [in taking these drugs].”

Cmelik said the ISU Student Health Center Pharmacy has removed all medication containing PPA off of the shelves. Hy-Vee, Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Osco Drug and Medicap Pharmacy in Ames also have eliminated these drugs.

However, there is no reason to panic if favorite cold medications no longer are available, Shulman said. “There are many other medications just as good as ones containing PPA,” he said.

Cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed, are just as effective at calming colds, and do not carry the risk associated with PPA, Cmelik said.

For people who rely on diet pills, such as Dexatrim or Acutrim, there are no over-the-counter alternatives, Cmelik said. However, using these drugs to lose weight is not an effective method anyway, he said.

The risk of stroke associated with PPA is only applicable while the medications are being taken, Shulman said. As a result, there is no need to worry about having a stroke if these medications have been taken in the past, he said.

While there is no reported risk of stroke for men taking PPA, Shulman said they should still avoid consuming it. “Just because men haven’t been shown to be at risk in the study doesn’t mean they aren’t,” he said.