There has long been a concern over the possible cardiac risks of taking certain non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. So much so that Vioxx was actually removed from the market in 2004. A report outlining the results of a study from Denmark was included in the latest issue of the AARP Bulletin.

The study which was originally reported in the June 8th online edition of the American Heart Association’s Circulation showed that even the short term use of NSAIDs in healthy men and women is associated with an increase in heart attacks and stroke. Previous studies had shown the same association but in patients with already existing heart disease.

The researchers found that ibuprofen had a 29% increase in the risk of fatal or non fatal stroke. Diclofenac (Voltaren) had almost double the risk of death from heart disease. Celebrex results were inconclusive while the results for Naprosyn (Alleve) revealed that it might be a safer alternative to the other drugs. 

Patients requiring chronic use of these meds for arthritis or other aches and pains might want to discuss these findings with their doctor. bjmdjd

Material modifications since posting: none

AARP Bulletin · Alleve · Celebrex · Circulation · diclofenac · ibuprofen · Naprosyn · Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs · NSAIDs · risk of heart attack and stroke · Voltaren

A spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently stated that even though the number of cases of H1N1 flu is decreasing there still haven’t been enough people who have received the vaccine. Doses of the vaccine are now plentiful so if you were planning on getting the H1N1 flu shot when it was in short supply there are plenty of doses available now and it is not too late.

Many folks take the drug Celebrex for arthritis and other inflammatory type diseases. A medical study published on Dec. 16, 2009 reported that recent testing on dogs found that taking Celebrex and other drugs in that class decreased the effectiveness of low dose aspirin (81 mg) that many people take to help “thin” the blood. It will be important to see if further study shows these findings to be true in humans.  bjmdjd

Material modifications since posting: none

Celebrex · flu shot · H1N1 flu · H1N1 flu shot · low dose aspirin