A large epidemiological study has found that popular pain relievers increase the risk of death from stroke. Danish researchers analyzed the records of over 100,000 patients hospitalized with a first stroke between 2004 and 2012.
NSAIDs
The investigators were specifically looking at the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in relationship to stroke. After analyzing the data, the Danish scientists discovered that new users of pain relievers such as diclofenac, etodolac and meloxicam were 42 percent more likely to die after a stroke than patients who were not taking NSAIDs.
Cox-2 Drugs
Current users of cox-2 inhibitors like celecoxib (Celebrex) were 19 percent more likely to die after a stroke than non NSAID users. Ibuprofen and naproxen, however, were not linked to excess deaths from stroke.
The lead author of the report, published in the journal Neurology, concludes:
“Our study supports stepping up efforts to make sure people with a higher risk of stroke are not prescribed these medications when other options are available.”
Such research puts millions of people in a double bind. That’s because 39 million people in the United States suffer from persistent pain. That amounts to approximately 19 percent of the population. Without safe and effective pain relief they frequently experience disability, depression or anxiety. Although aspirin might be a solution for some, it too has potentially serious side effects.
