# Heart Risk Spikes After Stopping Painkillers



## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

This was posted to the Co-Cure Mailing list, and I thought it might be of interest to many members here:************************************************Heart Risk Spikes After Stopping PainkillersBy Steven ReinbergHealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Dec. 13 (HealthDayNews) -- People taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs (NSAIDs) who suddenly stop face an almost 50 percent increased risk forhaving a heart attack during the first few weeks after discontinuing use of thepainkillers, a new study finds.NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Advil, Nuprin, Motrin), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve),and aspirin. They are most commonly taken long-term for conditions such asarthritis, tendonitis and bursitis. NSAIDs are especially effective becausethey not only decrease pain, but also help control swelling and inflammation.In the new study, a team led by Lorenz M. Fischer at University Hospital inBasel, Switzerland, looked at the risk of having a heart attack after stoppingNSAID therapy.The researchers collected data from the British General Practice ResearchDatabase on 8,688 patients who had a first heart attack between 1995 and 2001.They compared these patients with 33,923 similar patients who did not haveheart attacks, according to the report in the December issue of the Archives ofInternal Medicine.Fischer's team found that, compared with those who did not take NSAIDs, thosewho stopped taking the drugs had an almost 50 percent higher risk of having aheart attack in the first month after ending NSAID therapy.The greatest risk was among patients who had been taking NSAIDs for rheumatoidarthritis or lupus. For these patients, the risk of having a heart attack wasabout three times higher. For others who used NSAIDs for long-term therapy, therisk was about two times higher.However, there was no increased risk of having a heart attack among those whowere current NSAID users or who had stopped for at least 60 days, Fischer'steam found."The study suggests that abrupt cessation of longer-term NSAID therapy mayincrease the risk of MI and sudden discontinuation of NSAID therapy, especiallyafter long-term use, may have to be avoided," said study co-author Raymond G.Schlienger.Schlienger added that, given these findings, people on long-term NSAID therapyshould consult their doctor before they stop the treatment. "Since abruptdiscontinuation of long-term NSAID therapy might be associated with a slightlyincreased MI [myocardial infarction, or heart attack] risk, any modification ofNSAID therapy should be discussed with the responsible physician," he said."There is an anti-inflammatory effect of these drugs, and perhaps there is acardioprotective effect," said Dr. Michael E. Farkouh, an associate professorof medicine at New York University School of Medicine. "Patients withinflammation in blood vessels have a higher risk of having a heart attack."It is possible there is an inflammatory rebound, and platelets become stickywhen a patient abruptly stops NSAID therapy, Farkouh said. "You are suppressinginflammation, and when you stop the drugs then it comes back quickly, as doesthe platelet aggregation, and you clot more easily," he explained.Farkouh believes doctors need to pay attention to these drugs, and find out iftheir patients are on long-term NSAID therapy. "We need to know at what doses,and for what duration, they are taking the drug," he said."These are not benign drugs, even though they're over-the-counter," he added."If patients are going off these drugs, maybe they should taper off these drugsinstead of stopping them abruptly."More informationThe American Heart Association can tell you more about heart attacks at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jht...ntifier=1200005 .(SOURCES: Raymond G. Schlienger, Ph.D., M.P.H., pharmacologist, UniversityHospital Basel, Switzerland; Michael E. Farkouh, M.D., associate professor,medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York City; December 2004Archives of Internal Medicine)Copyright ï¿½ 2004 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflectfederal policy. healthfinderï¿½ does not endorse opinions, products, or servicesthat may appear in news stories. For more information on health topics in thenews, visit the healthfinderï¿½ health library at http://healthfinder.gov/library/ .


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