Common Painkillers May Raise Heart Attack and Stroke Risk
Research suggests that commonly prescribed painkillers such as Advil and Celebrex that are taken to treat inflammation can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, and even death.
Swiss scientists recently used a sophisticated technique to study the results of 31 trials that involved seven non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. The results appear in this month’s British Journal of Medicine. All of the drugs appeared to increase cardiovascular risk to some extent, particularly when used at higher dosages and for longer periods of time.
Of the drugs studied, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) carried the highest risk of stroke. Compared to patients taking a placebo, those taking ibuprofen had more than three times the risk of stroke. Rofecoxib (previously sold as Vioxx) carried the highest risk of heart attack. The least harmful medication appeared to be Neproxen (Aleve).
Experts warn patients to consider the cardiovascular risk before taking any of these medications, but acknowledge that the benefits may outweigh the risk for patients who take the medicines for short periods of time