Do I actually need to take this NSAID?

How a lot of us take ibuprofen or naproxen once we experience aches or perhaps a headache without considering twice about it. If you are like most individuals, I’m sure that is what you do. Research recently published within the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes may make a lot of us think in a different way. The article “Cause-related cardiovascular risk associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) among healthy subjects” analyzed a sample of 1,028,437 Danes over the age of 10 years. The use of the nonselective NSAIDs diclofenac and cyclooxygenase-2 rofecoxib were related to a dose-dependent increased risk of cardiovascular death. Additionally, taking ibuprofen was related to an increased risk of fatal or non-fatal stroke. This study didn’t associate naproxen use with an increased risk of heart problems.

While this isn’t the primary study to focus on the cardiovascular risks related to the usage of NSAIDs, it does give us a probability to think about the concept all drugs in a given pharmaceutical class would not have the identical risk profile. NSAIDs are an integral a part of the arsenal of medicines we use on daily basis to alleviate each our patients’ and our own pain. Please keep in mind that one medicine could also be more suitable for you than one other.

Here’s my challenge to you. Before you are taking one other dose of one in all these medications, ask yourself this query? Do I actually need this medicine or is there the rest I can do to feel higher?

Posted by Anne Dabrow Woods, MSN, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC