Celebrex and Vioxx May Increase Risk of Death After Heart Attack

By Dave Wilson

Published on November 17, 2005

A Danish study indicated that taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex and Vioxx, after a heart attack increases the risk of death.

The results of the drug study were presented at an American Heart Association conference in Dallas, Texas. The research showed that the risk of death corresponded to the size of the painkiller dose taken. The study did not find that NSAIDs caused a second heart attack.

The lead author of the study, a researcher from Copenhagen, Denmark, felt that it was important that heart attack patients not take high doses of COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex or other NSAIDs. The study showed that heart attack patients who took more than 200 milligrams of Celebrex a day were over four times more likely to experience death than those who didn't.

Other NSAIDs also increased the risk of death after experiencing a myocardial infarction, but not as significantly as COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex and Vioxx. For example, ibuprofen, the painkilling drug in Advil and Motrin, almost doubled the risk of death when patients took more than 1,200 milligrams a day.

If you have suffered adverse health effects after taking these medications, you may have a dangerous drugs case. Consult a lawyer for more information.

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