Even short term NSAID use increase risk after heart attack

Even short term NSAID use increase risk after heart attack

It is fairly known that pain killers in the group of non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID) increase the cardiovascular risk in healthy individuals as well as those with a prior heart attack. Olsen and associates checked whether there is a relationship between the duration of use of NSAIDs and cardiovascular risk.

The study evaluated over eighty three thousand patients thirty years or more in age admitted with first myocardial infarction (heart attack) between 1997 and 2006. There were over thirty five thousand reinfarction (recurrence of heart attack) or death during the period of evaluation. About forty two percent of the subjects had received NSAIDs.

They noted a hazard ratio of 1.45 with the use of NSAIDs for increased risk of death or myocardial infarction with the use of NSAIDs. While the increased risk started immediately on initiating certain NSAIDs, it occurred within one week with others.

A review of the topic by Olsen and colleagues mentioned that there is no apparent well-tolerated therapeutic window for associated cardivascular risk and NSAID use in patients with prior myocardial infarction.

Reference

1. Olsen AM, Gislason GH, Fosbøl EL. Time-perspective in cardiovascular risk of NSAID use after first-time myocardial infarction. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2013 Nov;28(6):683-8. doi: 10.1097/HCO.0b013e3283652dad. PMID: 24077606.