Commonly Used NSAIDs Associated with Increased Risk of Cardiac Arrest
The use of non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), particularly with ibuprofen and diclofenac.
Although NSAID use has previously been connected to cardiovascular risk, the drugs remain among the most commonly used drugs in the world.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Study: NSAIDs May Not be Best Option for Treating Spinal Pain
NSAID Use During Acute Respiratory Infection Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In order to establish the relationship between NSAID use and cardiac arrest, researchers conducted a case-time-control study of data from a nationwide registry in Denmark. The researchers identified all individuals who experienced OHCA from 2001 to 2010, and categorized the individuals based on their use of diclofenac, naproxen, ibuprofen, rofecoxib, celecoxib, and other NSAIDs.
Overall, they identified 28,947 individuals with OHCA during the study period. Of these, 3376 had been treated with an NSAID up to 30 days before OHCA. Ibuprofen and diclofenac were the most commonly used NSAIDs, representing 51% and 21.8% of total use, respectively.
The use of diclofenac and ibuprofen was associated with a significantly increased risk of OHCA, while use of naproxen, celecoxib, and rofecoxib was not significantly associated with OHCA. However, the researchers noted that far fewer individuals had taken naproxen, celecoxib, and rofecoxib compared with ibuprofen and diclofenac.
“Our findings support the accumulating evidence of an unfavorable cardiovascular risk profile associated with use of the non-selective NSAIDs. This calls for special awareness in order to balance risks against benefits in treatment with NSAIDs,” the researchers concluded.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Sondergaard KB, Weeke P, Wissenberg M, et al. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is associated with increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a nationwide case–time–control study. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother. 2017;3(2):100-107.