Common painkillers raise heart risks

A Danish study that ran almost nine years long looked at the health risks posed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are commonly prescribed in short term inflammatory conditions.

It was found that the risk of heart disease was mostly associated with high doses of the drugs. However, deaths were even reported in people who took the drugs for just two weeks.

Common painkillers, and the risks they carry
The researchers considered drugs ibuprofen, diclofenac, rofecoxib, naproxen and celecoxib for the study, which involved medical records of more than one million Danes from 1997 to 2005.

Ibuprofen (brand named Advil, Motrin) was found to raise the risk of fatal or nonfatal stroke by 29 percent. Although low doses of ibuprofen seemed to decrease the risk of heart attack, higher doses were found to be associated with a significant increase in risk.

Diclofenac (Voltaren and Cataflam) was associated with a 91 percent higher risk of death from all cardiovascular diseases.

Rofecoxib (Vioxx), which has recently been banned over safety concerns, was found to be associated with a 66 percent increased risk.

“Even though the frequency of these effects is quite low, they are still important.” -- Emil Loldrup Fosbøl, lead author of the study

Naproxen (Aleve and Naprosyn) was the one drug that did not appear to carry any risk of heart disease. But all NSAIDS, including naproxen, do raise the risk of potentially fatal bleeding.

However, celecoxib (Celebrex) was not found to be associated with either the risk of severe bleeding or coronary death or stroke.

"Even though the frequency of these effects is quite low, they are still important," said lead author Emil Loldrup Fosbøl. "People should at a minimum be aware that this is a problem."

NSAIDs raise cardiovascular risk in healthy individuals
Though studies in the past have evaluated the risks of NSAIDs, they have mostly considered people with underlying health conditions.

“This study is the first to confirm that the cardiovascular risk is indeed increased when healthy individuals use some of the drugs,” said Fosbøl.

The study is published in the July issue of ‘Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.’

Discuss your painkiller with doctors
The American Heart Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have already warned that people with heart diseases should be cautious about taking NSAIDs.

"I find this new study reassuring because it endorses the recommendations we made using a large body of actual clinical evidence," said Elliott M. Antman, a professor at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

For patients taking NSAIDS, whether it's a prescription or OTC, Antman advises “to discuss with your physician why it was originally recommended or prescribed, whether you need to continue taking it, and at what dose.”