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Painkillers may be harmful to heart
A new research reveals that common painkillers such as ibuprofen increase the risk of heart problems in seniors, according to a study published in the medical journal Heart yesterday.
The painkillers studied were ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxen, diclofenac, meloxi-cam, ketoprofen and piroxicam.
Researchers compared 1,400 Britons aged between 60 and 84 years who had been admitted to hospital for heart problems for the first time in the late 1990s with 5,000 healthy people. They found that 14 per cent of those patients were taking Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at the time of their admission, compared with 10 per cent of healthy people.
Of all the NSAIDs, people taking indomethacin seemed to be at higher risk - they were three times more likely to be admitted to hospital for heart failure than those not taking the drug.
A study last year by British researchers shows ibuprofen increases the chances of a heart attack by almost a quarter.
Ibuprofen is one of the most popular over-the-counter painkillers available from pharmacists and supermarkets, with 46 tons sold here each year.