A new study, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that common painkillers, including ibuprofen, could increase the risk of a heart attack, within the first week of regular use.
Earlier studies had already suggested that there may be a connection between cardiac risk and non- steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but the new research from a study of 450,000 people put the increased risk of heart attack when taking the drugs at between 24% and 58% when compared to not taking them.
So what does this mean for over-the-counter painkillers? Well, as always, the findings are not straightforward. The focus of the study was on those who had been prescribed NSAIDS rather than people buying over the counter painkillers. As with previous studies, the most vulnerable people are those with pre-existing heart conditions as well as smokers and those suffering from obesity. Additionally, many scientists have been pointing out that since people take NSAIDs as pain relief, it’s difficult to discern whether the drugs are increasing the risk or if it is actually the complaint which prompted people to take painkillers in first case, especially if the risk is greater only a week later.
There is still a good reason to be concerned. Although the general risk of risk of a heart attack whilst taking anti-inflammatories is still low, at around 1%, many doctors are concerned because of how easily accessible these painkillers are and how frequently we take them. NSAIRDs, ibuprofen in particular, are some of the most commonly used painkillers worldwide. With a pack ibuprofen costing less than £1, it’s not surprising that most of us consider small doses as relatively harmless. Everyone knows how important it is to follow the recommended dosages, but I’m definitely guilty of popping an ibuprofen for headaches or minor aches and pains when I could probably get by without it, and as an anti-inflammatory, it’s probably not doing much for headaches anyway.
Whilst the connection between cardiac risk and NSAIDs is become more apparent, we still don’t really know what it means for over-the-counter users. Personally, I might be slightly more cautious about self-medicating and at least more considerate of alternatives to NSAIDs, but, considering the plethora of reasons that people have to take them, without a study of the absolute risk, the effect of taking ibuprofen topically is still fairly unclear.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.