Ibuprofen claimed to raise cardiac arrest risk by a third

Conclusion This study showed an association between taking ibuprofen or diclofenac and an increased risk of a cardiac arrest in the following 30 days, but no association was found with the other NSAIDs investigated. But this study does have its limitations: Although the researchers used the same people to avoid confounding variables, the same person will differ in certain aspects over time – for example, certain diseases may get better or worse, which might have affected the results. The study only looked at prescribed drugs and not over-the-counter drugs. In Denmark, ibuprofen was the only over-the-counter drug sold at the time of the study and therefore a large number of people taking ibuprofen might have been missed. It could be that people are taking NSAIDs for other underlying problems that increase the risk of cardiac arrest, so it might be these problems increasing risk of cardiac arrest, not the NSAIDs. The dose and duration of NSAIDs might have varied across participants. It's not clear whether the greater the dose or duration, the higher the risk of cardiac arrest. The study was carried out in Denmark – the findings might not be as relevant to other populations, who have different lifestyles. The Guardian carries a quote from the lead author of the study, Professor Gunnar Gislason, warning: "The findings are a stark reminder that NSAIDs are not harmless … [and] should be used with caution and for a valid indication. "They should prob...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Heart/lungs Source Type: news