We discussed last month how all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) cause heart disease. But a new study shows that the danger is even worse than we thought.
The British Medical Journal just reported that cox-1 inhibitors increase your risk 42%. But if you take high dose ibuprofen, a cox-1 inhibitor, your risk is increased 51%. If you are taking diclofenac, your increased risk shoots up to 63%. These numbers are far worse than the California study I told you about last month.
The drug companies pushed the cox-2 drugs on us saying they were safer for your stomach than cox-1 drugs. Its been proven that after several months use, the difference in risk to your stomach is negligible. And the risk to your heart is almost identical.
Action to take: Avoid all painkillers except narcotics. The NSAID drugs have no place in my book for therapy. Narcotics, at least, are natural to the planet (though a few have some synthetics among their ingredients). Your best option for pain medicine is natural anti-inflammatories, such as curcumin, ginger, boswelia, and proteolytic enzymes (like Wobenzym). For arthritis, I really like Healthy Resolves Advanced Joint Support. Natural remedies not only will reduce your pain, but also will reduce your risk of heart disease.
Ref: British Medical Journal, June 3, 2006, Vol. 332, No. 7533: 1302-1308; BBC News, June 2, 2006.