October 15, 2001 Posted: 4:00 PM EDT

DALLAS (AP) -- Smokers who take certain antidepressants like Prozac and Zoloft run a dramatically lower risk of a first heart attack, a study suggests. The study found that smokers who took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, reduced their chances of a heart attack by 65 percent compared with smokers who didn't. Dr. Stephen Kimmel, an assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania, said one possible explanation is that the drugs act like a blood thinner, reducing the risk of clots that cause heart attacks. But he said more research is needed. He said another possibility is that the drugs reduced the risk of a heart attack indirectly, by relieving depression. Depression is known to be a risk factor for heart attacks.

It also remains to be seen how the drugs affect nonsmokers. The findings were published in Tuesday's issue of the journal Circulation. Kimmel's study, originally intended to examine if nicotine patches prevented heart attacks, looked at 3,643 smokers ages 30 to 65 during a two-year period in eight counties near Philadelphia. The SSRIs studied included Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox and Paxil. Previous studies have indicated that other types of antidepressants can cause abnormal heart rhythms in patients with heart problems. Dr. Daniel E. Ford of Baltimore's Johns Hopkins School of Medicine said a major limitation of the study was that it did not gauge the level of depression for each person in the study. He conducted an earlier study that showed clinically depressed men were twice as likely as other men to suffer heart attacks or develop other heart illnesses. http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/10/15/prozac.smoking.ap/index.html CNN.com - Smokers on Prozac have lower heart risk - October 15, 2001

October 16, 2001 Posted: 1:25 PM EDT (1725 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- About 3,600 pounds of Fleischmann's unsalted stick margarine is being recalled because it contains an ingredient not listed on the label. ConAgra Dairy Foods of Downer's Grove, Illinois, said the recalled margarine in question contains whey, a dairy ingredient. People who are allergic to dairy products may run the risk of a serious reaction if they eat this margarine. One reaction has been reported, the company said. Other than to people allergic to dairy products or those on a salt-free diet, the product is safe, ConAgra said. It was distributed in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Recalled packages can be identified by the "best if used by" date of APR 15 02 EN 15 with a time code between 06:30 and 08:00, the company said. The margarine can be returned to the store where purchased for a refund. People needing further information can contact ConAgra at 1 (800) 257-5594.