Boston U. Study Finds Link Between Anti-Inflammatory Drug and Heart Attacks

By Elizabeth Rhein

Published on September 30, 2006

Diclofenac, sold under the brand names Voltaren, Voltarol, Diclon, Dicloflex, Difen, and Cataflam, is the latest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to be linked to an increased risk of heart attack. Researchers found that patients using diclofenac are twice as likely to experience a heart attack as patients taking a placebo. These results are similar to those found for Vioxx (rofecoxib), which was pulled from the market in 2004 over evidence showing that the drug significantly increased the risk of a heart attack.

The group also found a similar increased risk of heart attack among patients using Celebrex (celecoxib), a popular NSAID that is currently still on the market.

The research group, which is affiliated with Boston University, accumulated their findings using an exhaustive British database called the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database. Scientists say that results gathered from this particular database are accurate and reliable because of the way in which its information is gathered and the large number of patients involved.

Patients taking diclofenac, Celebrex, or any other NSAID should talk to their doctor about the risks of such medications, especially those patients who have a family history of heart disease.

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