FDA Warns That All NSAIDS May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Death

It has been discovered that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS, such as Cox-2 inhibitors Vioxx, Bextra and Celebrex, lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems.

Dr. Steven Galson, acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said the FDA concluded that all prescription NSAID drugs could increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. However, it turns out that these prescription drugs are not the only painkillers that should be avoided: The FDA has urged the public to limit the use of over-the-counter pain medications and to use them in strict accordance with the label directions.

Over-the-counter pain relievers to be wary of:

• Aleve
• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen

Aleve (made by Bayer) is the first non-prescription NSAID to be added to the list of painkillers associated with heart attacks and strokes. In fact, Aleve is so detrimental to one's health that those who have been taking the drug for nearly three years have been advised to stop using it, while those who opt to continue taking it should take no more than two pills a day for no longer than 10 days (unless otherwise advised by a doctor).

People taking the prescription version of Aleve, Naprosyn, are also being directed to take the drug with extreme caution.

Further, a study administered to discover whether Aleve or Celebrex could prevent Alzheimer's disease showed that those taking Aleve had an estimated 50 percent higher risk of heart attacks and strokes than those taking a placebo.

Total sales of Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra was $4.7 billion in 2004. This level of sales of the patented drugs explains how Doctors have received so much more sales information on these drugs than on the natural, unpatented, far less costly alternatives.

Alternatives

While the FDA argues whether 26,000 or 55,600 deaths may be attributable to the 139,000 patients taking Vioxx who suffered serious side effects, you may consider nutritional alternatives such as CM Plus™, Advanced Cartilage Formula, Hyaluronic Acid and Omega-3 Pure Neptune Fish Oil™. These supplements address inflammation and the functioning of the joints, rather than just pain mediation.

CM Plus™ acts as a joint lubricant and anti-inflammatory. Together with the companion Advanced Cartilage Support formula, patients in double-blind multi-center testing demonstrated outcome measures ranging from 77% to 88% improvement.

Omega-3 fatty acids are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. In fact, that is how Vioxx and other NSAIDs work -- they manipulate prostaglandins. However, when you do it in an unnatural drug way, there is frequently another price to pay -- side effects, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Sugar and grain avoidance for most people will lower insulin levels. Elevated insulin levels are one of the most important reasons why inflammatory prostaglandins are produced. That is why stopping sugar and sweets are so essential to controlling arthritis pain and other types of chronic degenerative illness.

Source

USA Today December 23, 2004

USA Today December 20, 2004

Key concepts: NSAIDs, Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex, Aleve, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, alternatives