In a major setback for physicians and public interest groups desperately seeking the ban of ephedra, the Bush administration announced Friday that it has ordered a new safety review of the herbal supplement. The decision for the inquiry, which means a delay for possible new restrictions on ephedra, angered doctors and other health care officials who say the stimulant is associated with serious cardiovascular problems and should be banned immediately. Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen recently linked ephedra to more than 100 deaths.

As part of the study, the Department of Health and Human Services hired Rand Corporation, a research and analysis company, to review all available data on ephedra's safety. The announcement comes two years after Federal health officials initially wanted warning labels placed on the package inserts for ephedra products.