EXPERT VIEW

that people who had taken any NSAID in the previous 14 days had a 19 per cent increased risk of hospital admission for heart failure compared with people who had used NSAIDS at any point in the past.

In an accompanying editorial, two Danish health researchers said that owing to the widespread use of NSAIDS, “even a small increase in cardiovascular risk is a concern for public health”.

They said the fact they can be bought over the counter in supermarkets “further fuels the common misconception that NSAIDS are harmless drugs that are safe for everyone”.

The risk of admission for heart failure increased for seven traditional NSAIDS (diclofenac, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketorolac, naproxen, nimesulide, and piroxicam) and two COX 2 inhibitors (etoricoxib and rofecoxib).

The increased risk of hospital admission ranged from 16 per cent for naproxen to 83 per cent for ketorolac.

Even medium doses of indomethacin and etoricoxib were associated with increased risk, the study said, but there was no evidence that celecoxib increased the risk of admission for heart failure at commonly used doses.

The experts said their study “offers further evidence that the most frequently used individual

“Even a small increase in cardiovascular risk is a concern for public health”

DANISH RESEARCHERS