UAMS Expert on Ephedrine In National Spotlight

Bill Gurley, Ph.D. AUG. 30, 2001 | Following several recent deaths of athletes, a pharmacy professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has become a source news reporters around the country call for expert comment.

Bill Gurley, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the UAMS College of Pharmacy, has explained the potential risks of certain nutritional supplements in interviews with several national news outlets. Dr. Gurley has been investigating possible health risks from ephedra-based nutritional supplements for five years.

While none of the athletes' deaths have been officially linked to the use of nutritional supplements, they have prompted many people to examine the link between ephedra-based nutritional supplements and serious health problems.

"I told my wife that it's going to take a death of a star athlete or a Hollywood celebrity or a politician or a politician's family member for people to wake up to this. Until then, it's not going to stop," Dr. Gurley told CBS Sportsline.com.

In recent weeks, several college and professional football players have died suddenly, including Northwestern University football player Rashidi Wheeler, who collapsed after practice and died August 3. Since his death, teammates have indicated he may have been taking an ephedra-based nutritional supplement.

The Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, ABC News, CNNSI.com, and CBS Sportsline.com, have contacted Dr. Gurley for expert comment on the subject.

Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers these products nutritional supplements and not drugs, they can be purchased from retailers without a prescription. This leads to the misperception that the health risks associated with these products are minimal or even non-existent. Gurley's research indicates otherwise. According to a 1998 study headed by Gurley, "The plant species Ephedra sinica, Ephedra intermedia, and Ephedra equisetina, known collectively by their Chinese name ma huang, are botanical sources of ephedrine alkaloids and are commonly found in products marketed as 'natural stimulants' or thermogenic diet aids." When used properly, these products are generally considered safe, but when not used properly, their side effects have been shown to be very grave. Combinations of ephedrine with caffeine or other stimulants also makes the products riskier. Hundreds of ephedra-related adverse health effects including heart attack, stroke, seizures, and psychosis have been reported to the FDA and many have been confirmed in the medical literature. Moreover, over-the-counter products containing this combination were removed from the market by the FDA in 1983 due to safety issues. These same issues which prompted their removal in 1983 have recurred with ephedra supplements.

Some of the more troubling side effects of improper use of ephedra-based supplements include transient hypertension, nervousness, insomnia, appetite suppression, and headache. While these conditions seem innocuous on the surface, Dr. Gurley warns that when they are combined with underlying heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, some prescription medications, or a sensitivity to ephedrine, they can become deadly. In their quest to become bigger, faster, and stronger, many elite athletes ignore the possible health risks associated with these ephedra-based supplements and take them in quantities far exceeding recommended dosages.

Gurley's research has shown that such practices take on a magnified risk, as he discovered a startling degree of variation in ephedrine content from one jar of supplement to the next. Gurley said in a three-part series for CBS Sportsline.com, "We found the difference in the epedrine content as much as 250 percent from various lots of Ripped Fuel (a popular name brand supplement)."

Abuse of ephedra-based supplements spans the entire range from professional athletes trying to gain the competitive edge, all the way down to high school students hoping to bulk up and make the varsity team.

Links on This Page

College of Pharmacy: http://www.uams.edu/cop/default.htm
CBS Sportsline.com: http://cbs.sportsline.com/ http://cbs.sportsline.com/b/page/pressbox/0,1328,4200089,00.html

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08/30/01