A new study, published in the British Medical Journal claims that taking ibuprofen could quickly increase the risk of heart attack – a “worrying” potential side-effect that appears to occur from the first week of regular use.
While the overall risk of heart attack remains low, they are most likely to occur within the first month of taking a high dose of ibuprofen or other common painkillers, says the international team of researchers who analysed data from almost 450,000 people, 61,460 of whom had suffered a heart attack.
Ibuprofen, available in major pharmacies and sold over the counter in Nigeria as a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
Experts say other NSAIDs include diclofenac, piroxicam (feldene) and indometacin act by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme which is involved in the production of prostaglandins that normally protect the epithelial lining of the stomach from acid secretion.
NSAID are said to cause peptic ulceration which is the reason why they should be avoided or used with caution by individuals with previous or active peptic ulcer disease.
“Taking any dose of NSAIDs for one week, one month, or more than a month was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction [heart attack],” wrote the researchers, led by Michèle Bally of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre in Canada.
“Prescribers should consider weighing the risks and benefits of NSAIDs before instituting treatment, particularly for higher doses.”
Researchers examined the effect over time of taking three common anti-inflammatory painkillers – ibuprofen, diclofenac and naproxen – and two others, called celecoxib and rofecoxib.
The increased risk of suffering a heart attack was between 24 per cent and 58 per cent overall when taking the drugs, compared with not using them.
Using the drugs for longer than one month did not increase risk more than with shorter use, found the researchers, from Canada, Germany and Finland.
They studied people who took both a low dose of the drugs or a high dose, defined by the researchers as over 1200mg, or three maximum-strength tablets, of ibuprofen each day. For diclofenac, this was over 100mg and for naproxen, over 750g.
“This large-scale study worryingly highlights just how quickly you become at risk of having a heart attack after starting NSAIDs,” said Mike Knapton, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation.
Knapton said it was already known that these drugs increase the risk of having a heart attack, adding: “Whether you are being prescribed painkillers like ibuprofen, or buying them over the counter, people must be made aware of the risk and alternative medication should be considered where appropriate.”
