Common painkillers have heart risks similar to Vioxx

By Elizabeth Rhein

Published on June 02, 2006

The study, published in the June 3 issue of the British Medical Journal, questions the safety of some so-called NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This group of drugs includes ibuprofen, which is sold over-the-counter as Motrin, Advil, and Nuprin, as well as prescription drug diclofenac, sold under the brand nameds Voltaren, VoltarenXR, and Cataflam.

These medications have recently been considered safer than their cox-2 cousins; both Vioxx and Bextra were pulled from the market after alarming data showed them to cause a high rate of heart attack and stroke.

Now, ibuprofen and diclofenac are coming under attack as well. Scientists from Italy and the United Kingdom combined statistics from more than 130 clinical trials to determine their findings. When the NSAIDs were administered regularly at the upper limit of dosing recommendations, they produced cardiovascular risks similar to those found in the recalled cox-2 drugs.

Researchers involved in the study stress that for people with no prior vascular or heart disease, the risks of taking NSAIDs are modest and that further study is needed to better understand the issue.

If you are currently taking cox-2 inhibitor drugs or NSAIDs and are concerned about the possible side effects, talk to your doctor to determine the best course of action.

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