Heart Health Current Topics in Heart Health

Short-term use of Vioxx inhibitors may increase the risk of heart attack


Cox-2 inhibitors used to be commonly prescribed to treat the pain and inflammation of arthritis, but concern has since been raised over these drugs' role in increasing a patient's risk of heart attack after long term use. However, one of these drugs, Vioxx, may even increase a patient's risk of heart attack with short-term use. In a study of 125,000 patients who had been prescribed a form of cox-2 inhibitors, researchers from McGill University found that those who took Vioxx had a slightly increased risk of having a heart attack within the first two weeks of use, when compared to those who used other drugs. "This data emphasizes the need for early and proactive monitoring of adverse effects in the event that other cox-2 inhibitors are approved or even reintroduced," write the study authors in the Canadian Medical Journal Association. Merck, the company that makes Vioxx, had voluntarily withdrawn the drug from market in 2004 after concerns over long-term use and risk of heart attack.

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