Ibuprofen Risks for Osteoarthritis Patients

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- People in pain often reach for a common painkiller like ibuprofen. However, a new study reveals the anti-inflammatory drug may be harmful for patients who are at high risk for cardiovascular problems.

Cardiology researchers studied osteoarthritis patients who were at high risk for cardiovascular problems like a stroke or heart attack. They found when taking common ibuprofen medications such as Advil and Motrin along with aspirin, patients were approximately nine-times as likely to have a stroke or heart attacks compared to patients taking lumiracoxib (Prexige). Previous research has suggested ibuprofen interferes with the heart-helping effects of aspirin.

Researchers looked at 3,000 of the 18,325 patients who were taking part in the Therapeutic Arthritis Research and Gastrointestinal Event Trial (TARGET). Mark E. Farkouh, M.D., of Mount Sinai Cardiovascular Institute in New York explained to Ivanhoe: "The mechanism here is that ibuprofen interacts with aspirin, and it blocks the receptor for aspirin and therefore basically negates the effects of aspirin. So here you have a strategy to protect the patient with aspirin, and what happens is the painkiller blocks the effect and puts the patient at risk."

Dr. Farkouh stressed the importance of having each patient's therapy individualized. "Any medication added to your current medication needs to be put into perspective with regards to the interaction of these drugs," Dr. Farkouh said. "Here is a drug that is relatively safe and available over the counter, and here we are giving it to our cardiac patients because we are afraid of all of the drugs [prescribed to patients], and low and behold, we are causing more heart attacks by giving this drug, which is the irony of this whole thing," he added.

Dr. Farkouh said the next step in the process is looking at more patients in larger studies.