This Painkiller Increases Heart Attack Risk by 50%

Almost everyone uses painkillers from time to time.

We’ve long been warned about the heart risk of over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), although not all of them are created equal.

In the latest edition of the journal BMJ, Danish researchers proved that one specific NSAID type was a scary 30% riskier than the others.

Moreover, this one almost guarantees a heart attack. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most popular NSAIDs used.

The researchers compared users of different NSAIDs, users of paracetamol (also called acetaminophen), and non-users of painkillers to see which group of people would develop heart problems.

They used records collected by the Danish national patient registry between 1996 and 2016.

They identified:

– 1.4 million people on diclofenac.

– 3.9 million on ibuprofen.

– 292,000 on naproxen.

– 765,000 on paracetamol.

– And 1.3 million not using any painkillers.

The first three of these are NSAIDs.

All of the subjects had been prescribed these painkillers and had been taking them for at least a year.

Only those without cardiovascular disease, dementia, schizophrenia, kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, and ulcers were accepted into the study, in order to ensure that they were at low risk of heart problems prior to their use of painkillers.

Those on paracetamol had an average age of 56, and those on NSAIDs were between ages 46 and 49 on average.

They found that all of these painkillers posed an increased risk of heart problems, but diclofenac was the worst of the lot.

1. Compared to people who used no painkillers, diclofenac users were 50% more likely to suffer from a heart problem.

2. Compared to paracetamol and ibuprofen users, diclofenac users were 20% more likely to have heart problems.

3. Compared to naproxen users, diclofenac users were 30% more likely to have heart problems.

When the researchers broke down the statistics for diclofenac users versus non-users of painkillers by the specific heart problem encountered, they found that diclofenac users had:

1. a 20% greater risk of atrial fibrillation/heart flutter

2. a 60% higher risk of ischemic stroke

3. a 70% greater risk of heart failure

4. a 90% greater risk of heart attack

5. a 70% greater risk of cardiac death.

People on both high and low doses of diclofenac had an increased risk of heart problems within 30 days of the start of their prescription.

These statistics alone reveal that diclofenac poses the highest risk of heart problems, although the rates of heart problems for users of other painkillers are still higher than for people who do not use painkillers.

But to avoid heart attacks, you have to clear out the plaque buildup in your heart. Fortunately, this can be done by cutting out the one ingredient explained here…