Jan Drew wrote:
> Andrew wrote:
> Roman Bystrianyk wrote:
> > ANDRÉ PICARD, "Old, 'safe' painkillers found to cause same heart ills
> > as new", Globe and Mail, September 13, 2006,
> > Link:
> > http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060913.wxhdrugs1...

> > Some older, "safe" painkillers appear to cause the same heart problems
> > as the much-scrutinized and discredited painkiller Vioxx, according to
> > new research, which raises new concerns about the safety of treatments
> > for chronic painful conditions such as arthritis.

> > At the same time, Vioxx itself appears to have even more side effects
> > than previously believed, according to research published on-line
> > yesterday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

> > Three articles in JAMA feature some striking conclusions, including:

> > Older painkillers such as diclofenac sharply increase the risk of heart
> > attacks in regular users.

> > Other traditional painkillers including meloxicam, indomethacin and
> > perhaps even over-the-counter products such as ibuprofen may also
> > increase the risk of heart disease.

> > Rofecobix (brand name Vioxx) -- already pulled from the market because
> > it increased the risk of heart attacks and stroke -- may also cause
> > kidney damage and heart arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm).

> > Celecoxib (brand name Celebrex) -- which is still available -- may
> > cause heart problems, but only when taken at relatively high doses of
> > 200 milligrams or more daily.

> > The painkiller naproxen does not reduce the risk of cardiovascular
> > problems, as previous research has suggested, but it does not cause
> > additional risk, either.

> > More than 30 million people worldwide take these medications, known as
> > non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for the daily treatment of pain
> > and inflammation. So, the potential repercussions of the findings are
> > widespread.

> > NSAIDs are already known to cause gastrointestinal problems, and adding
> > heart problems to the mix could deter patients from their use.

> > "It's important not to get too alarmed by these findings," said David
> > Juurlink, a scientist at the Toronto-based Institute for Clinical
> > Evaluative Sciences.

> > He said the news that taking diclofenac can increase risk by 40 per
> > cent may alarm some users, but that they need to bear in mind that
> > individual risk depends on dose and cardiovascular risk factors.

> > "All drugs have risks and benefits and data like this force us to
> > scrutinize our behaviour," Dr. Juurlink said.

> > One study, led by Jingjung Zhang of Harvard Medical School in Boston,
> > looked at the safety of cyclooxygenase 2 (cox-2) inhibitors such as
> > Vioxx, Celebrex and valdecoxib (brand name Bextra, it has also been
> > withdrawn from the market). The researchers combined the findings of
> > 114 studies involving more than 115,000 patients and found that those
> > taking Vioxx had markedly higher rates of kidney problems and
> > arrhythmia.

> > Patients taking the other drugs did not have the same problems, leading
> > Dr. Zhang to conclude that there is "no cox-2 inhibitor class effect."

> > The second study, led by Patricia McGettigan of the University of
> > Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia, examined the cardiovascular
> > risks associated with a broad range of painkillers, new and old. The
> > review of 17 studies included more than 75,000 patients taking cox-2
> > inhibitors and 375,000 taking traditional NSAIDs.

> > Patients taking Vioxx saw their risk of heart attack double, while
> > those taking diclofenac saw their risk increase 40 per cent. Ibuprofen
> > increased risk by 7 per cent, a virtually negligible effect.

> > David Graham of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (but who has
> > clashed publicly with his employer about its policies), said in an
> > editorial published by JAMA that, for patients with arthritis and other
> > chronic conditions that require pain relief "naproxen appears to be the
> > safest NSAID choice."

> > He said that while the data on Celebrex look relatively good, it is no
> > better than traditional NSAIDs, so its use is not justified.

> Thankfully, Limbrel remains available as an effective alternative that
> is less toxic than even naproxen with a side effect profile that is
> comparable to placebo.

> May GOD continue to keep your heart beating, dear neighbor Roman whom I
> love unconditionally.

> Prayerfully in Christ's amazing love,

> Andrew <><
> --
> Andrew B. Chung
> Cardiologist, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
> http://HeartMDPhD.com/HolySpirit

> As for knowing who are the very elect, these you will know by the
> unconditional love they have for everyone including their enemies
> (Matthew 5:44-45, 1 Corinthians 13:3, James 2:14-17).

> http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/d3b7b57d0fbf89ed?

> God Bless you, Andrew!