Millions of people are taking medication for some sort of pain, whether it is for back pain, knee pain, joint pain or headaches. Because these medications are so easily accessible we think they are not dangerous.
“New research published in the BMJ proves that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (known as NSAIDS) can cause greater risk of a heart attack, reports The Guardian. It’s thought people who take the painkillers for a week or more will have between 20% and 50% more chance of a cardiac arrest than those who haven’t consumed the drugs.
The research analyzed the medical records of 446,000 people from Canada, Finland and the UK — 61,460 of whom had suffered a heart attack — and the above correlation became undeniably clear.
I’m now definitely thinking back to all the times I’ve taken Ibuprofen for a pathetic headache and am feeling pretty regretful right now.
And indicating that perhaps this really is advice to pay attention to, the National Health Service in the UK also featured the information on its news page.
Gunnar Gislason, a cardiology professor from the Copenhagen University Hospital, where some of the research took place, has issued advice which states people should only take these kind of painkillers when absolutely necessary. He says people who have a history of heart problems should avoid the medication altogether.
There are also calls for ibuprofen not to be sold in supermarkets or petrol stations any longer. “The current message being sent to the public about NSAIDs is wrong. If you can buy these drugs in a convenience store then you probably think ‘they must be safe for me,'” said Professor Gislason. “Allowing these drugs to be purchased without a prescription, and without any advise or restrictions, sends a message to the public that they must be safe.” From: Good Housekeeping US
