‘No heart risk’ from Ibuprofen use

The short-term use of painkiller drugs such as Ibuprofen does not increase the risk of heart attack, according to a new study.

Published in the journal BMC Medicine, the study confirms that taking the recommended daily dose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for less than a year does not increase the risk of having a heart attack.

However, the study found that if taken regularly for over one year, the drugs may lead to an increased risk of non-fatal heart attacks.

Researchers Luis A Garcia Rodriguez and his team in Madrid examined the use of NSAIDs in 4,975 patients who had a history of heart-attacks, and a control group of 20,000.

They found that, despite the drugs not increasing the risk of heart attack in the first year, regular use after 12 months increased the risk of non-fatal heart attacks by 20 per cent.

The researchers studied the use of three of the most common NSAIDs – finding that Ibuprofen for a year does not increase heart attack risk, while long-term use of Diclofenac can slightly increase the risk.

Long-term use of Naproxen can have a small protective effect, according to the study.

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