Beware Common Painkillers, They May Not Be All That Safe

After studying Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), commonly used to treat pains, fevers and inflammation, researchers found that common painkillers may affect health, especially the heart, more than has been believed.

The study was conducted by 14 European universities and hospitals, which included leading European heart specialists. The information available in this area indicated that arthritis painkillers might affect heart patients, and even older forms of arthritis medication may not be safe for the heart.

These NSAIDs are available in smaller doses and can be used as aspirins for smaller ailments. But the stronger doses might be used for more serious diseases such as arthritis, that affect our muscular and bone systems.

"It's been well-known for a number of years that newer types of NSAIDs - what are known as COX-2 inhibitors - increase the risk of heart attacks," said lead researcher Morten Schmidt from Aarhus University. "For this reason, a number of these newer types of NSAIDs have been taken off the market again. We can now see that some of the older NSAID types, particularly Diclofenac, are also associated with an increased risk of heart attack and apparently to the same extent as several of the types that were taken off the market."

Every year, more than 15 percent of the population is given NSAIDs. The dangers linked with the NSAIDs is still not totally clear. 

"This is worrying, because these older types of medicine are frequently used throughout the Western world and in many countries, available without prescription," he added.

The European Society of Cardiology has worked out a list of dos for doctors to give prescriptions for painkillers.

"When doctors issue prescriptions for NSAIDs, they must in each individual case carry out a thorough assessment of the risk of heart complications and bleeding," explained study co-author Christian Torp-Pedersen from Aalborg University.

"NSAIDs should only be sold over the counter when it comes with an adequate warning about the associated cardiovascular risks. In general, NSAIDs are not be used in patients who have or are at high-risk of cardiovascular diseases," he said.

The findings were published on March 16 in the European Heart Journal.