LONDON, June 1 (UPI) -- An analysis of 138 studies of 140,000 people shows that COX 2 inhibitors raise heart-attack risk in only three out of 1,000 people.
Clinicians have been trying to determine whether COX 2 inhibitors, such as Merck' withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, carry a higher risk of heart attacks and other vascular events.
The researchers limited their analysis to data from randomized trials that compared a COX 2 inhibitor with a placebo or with a traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID) and had revealed serious cardiovascular events. The results were published in this week's British Medical Journal.
While COX 2 inhibitors were associated with a tiny increased risk of cardiovascular problems -- mainly heart attack -- the data were insufficient to assess whether these risks increased as the COX 2 dose increased, or if the risks differed between people taking COX 2 inhibitors plus an NSAID aspirin or non-aspirin NSAID, the researchers concluded.
High doses of two NSAIDs -- diclofenac and ibuprofen -- increased the risks of vascular events at the same rate as COX 2 inhibitors, but the NSAID naproxen showed lower risks than COX 2 inhibitors.
The study authors called for very large randomized clinical trials to determine which anti-inflammatory drugs both relieve chronic pain and minimize serious cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems.
