A common painkiller is increasing your risk of stroke and heart attack

This new study has found that diclofenac, a painkiller that’s subscribed to millions and is also available over the counter, is increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack by 50 per cent.

Sudhakar Jha | Updated: September 24, 2018 4:56 pm

The new study found that there was increased risk of cardiac death in those people taking diclofenac than other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. © Shutterstock

We have all popped a diclofenac when in pain, but a major study has recently found that this common painkiller is increasing your risk of heart attack or stroke. The drug has recently been withdrawn from being sold over the counter in the UK, after fears of serious side effects.

And now, in a one of its kind huge study, involving more than six million people, it has linked diclofenac to “major cardiovascular events”.

Study author Dr. Morten Schmidt, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark said that the medicine must come with a statutory warning, it should be only be sold through prescription.

“Diclofenac poses a cardiovascular health risk compared with non-use, paracetamol use and use of other traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,” Dr Morten said in the study. The team found that the patients having diclofenac were more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke – as well as other heart problems.

In the study, they analysed that those who took diclofenac for 30 days, the risk rose by 50 per cent – compared to those people who were not taking any drugs. Compared to those using ibuprofen, the risk increased by 20 per cent for diclofenac users. And it rose to 30 per cent when compared to those taking naproxen.

Dr Schmidt added in the study, “It is time to acknowledge the potential health risk of diclofenac and to reduce its use.”

The new study also found that there was increased risk of cardiac death in those people taking diclofenac than other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Further, those patients were also more likely to suffer from internal bleeding in the upper intestines.

Dr. Schmidt concluded, “In some cases using NSAIDs will be worthwhile for some patients to improve their quality of life – despite the side effects. But there is no reason to start a patient on diclofenac before trying other NSAIDs first.”

Published: September 24, 2018 4:56 pm | Updated:September 24, 2018 4:56 pm

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