Painkillers can increase risk of heart attack, study says

Drugs used for conditions such as arthritis pose slight risk if taken in high doses over a long time, research findsHigh doses of painkillers such as diclofenac and ibuprofen have been found to increase the chance of heart problems by a small amount, according to research.Carried out by the MRC Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit at the University of Oxford and published in the Lancet, the research is based on data from outcomes of more than 353,000 patients and focuses on prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in high doses. Nsaids are widely used by people suffering from conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.The research found that for every 1,000 people with a moderate risk of heart disease allocated to one year of treatment with high-dose diclofenac (150mg daily) or ibuprofen (2,400mg daily), about three would experience an avoidable heart attack, of which one would be fatal.The study also found that all Nsaids double the risk of heart failure and produce a two-to-four times increased risk of serious upper gastrointestinal complications, such as bleeding ulcers.Analysis of the data from 639 random trials shows that the size of the risks can be predicted, which may help doctors decide which patients are suited to which painkillers.The lead author, Professor Colin Baigent, said the risks were relative to an individual's existing risk of heart disease."What we found was that the risks of these drugs are really det...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Tags: Heart attack News Health guardian.co.uk Society Drugs Science Source Type: news