How are the following two news stories related?

--EXCERPT--

Jul 27 (Reuters) - Long-term, habitual use of the painkiller acetaminophen — known as paracetamol in many parts of the world — may cause a decline in kidney function in some people, according to a study of middle- aged women published on Monday.

Overall, one in 10 of the 1,700 women studied over 11 years experienced a 30 percent decline in their kidney's filtration function.

Acetaminophen, which is sold under the brand name Tylenol by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and is also marketed generically, was alone among commonly used painkillers to show an association with kidney impairment.

In the study, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who had taken between 1,500 and 9,000 tablets over their lifetimes raised their risk of kidney impairment by 64 percent. For those who took more than 9,000 tablets, the risk more than doubled.

[Shark's note: this sounds high, but a lot of women eat Tylenol by the handfuls during pre-and post menstrual symptoms; ie, once a month! That's one reason they ran the study.]

"Pain relievers are used commonly, especially among women," Curhan said. "As a growing number of patients take painkillers on a regular basis to alleviate chronic pain or to prevent heart disease and stroke, it is important for clinicians to fully appreciate that these medications may also have adverse effects on an individual's long-term health."

(full story)

--end of Reuters excerpt--

Metabolife founder pleads not guilty
July 27, 2004 (various news outlets)

The founder of Metabolife International Inc. pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges of lying to the Food and Drug Administration about the dangers of a popular diet supplement containing ephedra, the now-banned herbal stimulant linked to 155 deaths.

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So what's the connection?

They're both over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
During the nine years it was on the market, Ephedra was apparently responsible for some 155 deaths.
According to a new study, Tylenol might be responsible for THOUSANDS of deaths over the long term — from kidney failure, kidney dysfunction, and related damage.
The drug made by a small company is banned by the FDA.
The drug made by a gigantic lobbyist and political contributor is still available.
Ephedra's CEO is probably going to jail.
Johnson & Johnson's CEO is probably meeting with Karl Rove on a yacht somewhere.

So what else is new?

Things that are supposed to make us feel good end up killing us. We knew that.

But did you know that over-the-counter drugs aren't safe just because they're advertised on TV and can be bought by a ten year old over-the-counter? Maybe.

The kidney thing is a surprise, but everyone knows that many of these over-the-counter drugs can damage your liver. (What? You don't read the contraindications literature supplied with your OTC dope? Oh yeah, that little allergy pill you give your kid each morning? Stops sneezing and watery eyes — while destroying their liver; read the fine print.)