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Study Links Ibuprofen, Other Pain Relievers To Heart Risk

June 10, 2005
Evidence continues to mount that drugs designed to reduce inflammation and pain may in fact contribute to heart ailments. A study published in the latest issue of The British Medical Journal links common, over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen with an increased risk of heart attack.

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"These results suggest an increased risk of myocardial infarction associated with current use of rofecoxib (Vioxx), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren) and ibuprofen despite adjustment for many potential confounders," said researchers at the University of Nottingham.

In fact, the study said the risk of heart attack rose 24 percent among people taking ibuprofen. It was 55 percent higher for those taking diclofenac. It's just the latest research to suggest a link between drugs designed to relieve pain and the risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack.

It all started last September, when Merck withdrew its prescription pain reliever Vioxx from the market after its use in clinical trials raised concerns about heart disease. Other so-called COX-2 inhibitor drugs, including Celebrex and Bextra, are also suspected of increasing heart risks.

Since that finding, older non-steroidal pain relievers (NSAIDs) - most sold without a prescription - have gotten another look.

"Our study offers no reassurance that the increased risk of myocardial infarction is specific to rofecoxib alone or specific to COX-2 inhibitors," the researchers wrote. "We think that enough concerns exist to warrant a reconsideration of the cardiovascular safety of all NSAIDs."

The study concludes that people 65 and older taking diclofenac are at an increased risk of suffering a first time heart attack at about the same rate as those taking Vioxx. But the researchers stopped short of advocating people currently taking the drugs stop them immediately.

"However, enough concerns may exist to warrant a reconsideration of the cardiovascular safety of all NSAIDs," the study concluded.

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