Jonathan Wilhoite Blog: Ibuprofen Is Linked to Heart Failure, Research Shows

Friday, September 30, 2016

Ibuprofen Is Linked to Heart Failure, Research Shows

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A recent study has discovered that ibuprofen, the well-known and commonly used drug as a painkiller, increases the risk of heart failure.

The research results showed that this drug poses a risk and it increases the chances of the condition by 20 per cent. Those who take the drug regularly were warned to lower the dosage and to limit the frequency or the interval of taking the medicine.

The study involved 10 million patients. In the British Medical Journal, it was stated: “The risk of hospital admission for heart failure associated with current use of NSAIDs appears to vary between individual [drugs]. Risk of admission is doubled for some used at very high doses.”

Ibuprofen is a kind of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) that is used by people to treat muscle pain and even fever.

NSAIDs are ordinarily prescribed to those who suffer from joint pain and fever. However, the NHS claims that not everyone can be compatible with this drug; there are those who experience adverse side effects.

Peter Weissberg, a professor at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It has been known for some years that such drugs need to be used with caution in patients with, or at high risk of heart disease.”

The professor added that this study acts as a strong reminder for medical practitioners to consider such factors when they prescribe NSAID use for their patients. For patients, they should abide by the dosage guidelines by taking the lowest effective dose.

In Italy, the research team from the University of Milano-Bicocca discovered that current use of NSAIDs is related to an increased risk compared with previous use. They correlated this with factors such as the type of NSAID drug and the dosage intake.

Dr. Tim Chico, a Reader in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Sheffield, mentioned that heart failure can be caused by factors such as blood pressure, heart attacks, alcohol intake and obesity.

He continued, “It seems unlikely that NSAIDs would cause problems in people with otherwise healthy hearts, but they may unmask heart failure due to these other causes.”

An analysis was conducted for subjects aged over 18 years old from the UK, Holland, Germany and Italy. The study involved 27 NSAID drugs, and this went on from 2000-2010.

A whopping 92,163 hospital admissions were related to heart failure and linked with the 8,246,403 control patients. The risk of hospital admission due to this condition is increased by 19 percent and it is connected to current NSAID use.

Are you aware of the negative effects? Are you following your doctor’s prescription or do you go beyond the guidelines? It might be time to re-evaluate habits involving NSAID drugs.

Helen Williams said: “The link between use of NSAIDs and increased risk of heart failure is well-established.”

Williams is a consultant pharmacist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. She added, “People regularly purchasing NSAIDs over the counter, such as ibuprofen, should seek advice from their pharmacist or doctor. People needing treatment with long-term or frequent short courses should be regularly assessed.”

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from NUTRITION CLUB CANADA http://nutritionclub.ca/ibuprofen-heart-failure/amp/