More About Painkillers and the Heart
Two new studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that Vioxx may cause more cardiovascular complications and cause them earlier on than previously thought. Celebrex, however, is not associated with heart problems at doses less than 200 mg/day.
- A meta-analysis of 114 studies with a combined total of 116,000 study participants found an association between Vioxx (rofecoxib) and an increased in renal and (heart) arrhythmia risk.
- A meta-analysis of 23 studies showed that Vioxx caused heart problems within 30 days of the start of treatment. (Merck claims the increase in risk is observed only in patients who’ve been taking the pain reliever for at least 18 months.)
- Other NSAID’s such as ibuprofen and diclofenac may also have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.
For patients with chronic pain, Dr. David Graham of the FDA recommends naproxen (Aleve) as the pain reliever with lowest risk of cardiovascular complications.
Scientific American, September 12, 2006
Technorati Tags: vioxx, celebrex, nsaid, diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, aleve, heart disease, heart, disease, illness, health, cardiovascular disease, cvd
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