All NSAIDs May Raise 2nd Heart Attack Risk

Taking a common type of pain reliever may increase the risk of a second heart attack and death, a new study suggests. The study kept track of people for 5 years after a first heart attack. The higher risk applied to those who took any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). These drugs include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn and others). Prescription types include celecoxib (Celebrex). The study was done in Denmark. In that country, all NSAIDs except low-dose ibuprofen require a prescription. Researchers looked at records for almost 100,000 people who had a first heart attack. In the next 5 years, nearly half of them filled a prescription for an NSAID. People who took the painkillers had a 63% higher risk of death from any cause. They had a 41% higher risk of another heart attack.