Free Republic

Even short-term use of some painkillers could be dangerous for people who've had a heart attack, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers analyzed the duration of prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) treatment and cardiovascular risk in a nationwide Danish cohort of patients with prior heart attack. They found the use of NSAIDs was associated with a 45 percent increased risk of death or recurrent heart attack within as little as one week of treatment, and a 55 percent increased risk if treatment extended to three months. The study was limited by its observational...

In the fall, my Vioxx patients fled to Celebrex. Last week they fled to Aleve. This week they don't know what to do. Now that it was discovered that patients taking naproxen (Aleve) for three years had a 50 percent increased risk of heart disease, my patients want to know if any arthritis drug is safe. I tell them that all these drugs are probably safe — if taken for the right reasons and if judiciously prescribed. I tell them that the increased risk of heart disease is due to taking these drugs at high doses over a prolonged period...