Painkiller heart risk revealed
Thursday May 30th, 2013
Most common pain-killers pose a small risk to the heart - but doctors should be able to calculate which drugs pose the greatest risk to individual patients, experts reveal today.
A major analysis, published in The Lancet, says that new drugs, known as coxibs, as well as high doses of older drugs, such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, all pose similar risks.
The drugs, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are used widely to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The study suggests that for every 1,000 people with a moderate risk of heart disease who take the drugs, three extra will suffer a heart attack and one extra will die because of the treatment.
The researchers looked at 639 trials involving more than 353,000 patients.
Researcher Professor Colin Baigent, from Oxford University, UK, said: "We would emphasise that the risks are mainly relevant to people with arthritis who need to take high doses over a long period. A short course of lower dose tablets purchased without a prescription, for example, for a muscle sprain, is not likely to be hazardous."
He added: "This new research shows how to calculate the likely size of any risks of NSAIDs for an individual patient, which should help doctors and their patients when they consider the treatment options."
The medical director of Arthritis Research UK, Professor Alan Silman, said the findings highlighted an "urgent" need to find alternative treatments.
He said: "GPs are aware of the risks of NSAIDs, and there has been a marked reduction in the use of diclofenac and a switch to naproxen in recent years. For patients with arthritis, not smoking, a healthy diet and having their blood pressure checked regularly are more important factors in reducing the risk of a heart attack.
"We would advise people with arthritis who are taking NSAIDs not to be unduly concerned by these latest findings and to seek the advice of their GP."
Lancet 30 May 2013 [abstract]
Tags: Heart Health | Pain Relief | Pharmaceuticals | UK News
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