Patients who use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include over-the-counter analgesics such as ibuprofen or naproxen, have a small increased risk of experiencing a first hospitalization for heart failure, researchers from Spain report. They also found that for patients with pre-existing heart failure, NSAIDs may worsen the condition, triggering the need for hospital admission.
This increased risk may have "considerable public health impact," particularly among the elderly, the population most at risk for heart failure, notes the study team in a report in the journal Heart posted online.
Dr. Consuelo Huerta and colleagues compared NSAID use among 1,396 individuals between 60 and 84 years old who were hospitalized for non-fatal heart failure and a random sample of 5,000 subjects (controls).
Fourteen percent of the heart failure patients were current NSAID users compared with 10 percent of the controls. NSAIDs were primarily used for osteoarthritis.
With current NSAID use, the overall risk of a first hospitalization for heart failure was increased by 30 percent after accounting for major heart failure risk factors, report Huerta and colleagues from Centro Espanol de Investigacion Farmacoepidemiologica in Madrid.
Steve - for some, taking NSAID's for pain reduction is worth the risk. Alternatively, while definitely the tougher road, there are other options to explore. Discovering foods in your diet that may be exacerbating your pain can make all the difference. We have countless testimonials of those who have reduced or eliminated their pain by eliminating certain foods or groups of foods from their diet. What's more, it is not a band-aid approach...it is getting to the root of the cause.
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