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Hundreds of thousands of young people are risking deadly illnesses by taking painkillers every day.One in three aged between 18 and 24 now take over-the-counter pills once every 24 hours often at the slightest hint of pain, research reveals.
But experts warn they are needlessly putting themselves at increased risk of potentially fatal heart attacks, heart failure and strokes.
A survey of 5,000 young people found 33% admit taking painkillers every day. Many are resorting to pills within just minutes of suffering minor headaches.
And many could be giving themselves headaches by overusing tablets, creating a vicious cycle of painkiller abuse. The risk of this is highest for those taking aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol at least every other day to treat headaches or another sources of pain.
The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials to analyze the risks associated with taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs "What Are NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs)? What Are NSAIDs Used For?"NSAIDs) -including selective COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs) and traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (tNSAIDs).
NSAIDs are medications with analgesic (pain reducing) and antipyretic (fever reducing) properties.
High-dose NSAIDs are frequently used to treat and manage pain among patients suffering from inflammatory disorders.
Although many patients are willing to accept the risks associated with the medications, they should be fully informed first by their doctor. The results of this study will help them determine whether they are willing to take the risk.
The cardiovascular risks associated with NSAIDs had been explored by researchers before. One study found that heart attack survivors who were prescribed NSAIDs were 45% more likely to die or have another heart attack within one week of treatment.
In order to fully assess the health impacts of NSAIDs and help patients make an informed choice, the investigators thoroughly analyzed results from a total of 639 different clinical trials (which cover 353,000 patients records).
They identified an increased risk of heart attacks and death among the new generation of NSAIDs "coxibs", which were associated with a thirty percent increase in the risk of major vascular events.
The effects of high dose prescriptions levels of 150mg diclofenac or 2,400mg ibuprofen each day were analyzed.
A previous study published in PLoS Medicinerevealed that naproxen and low dose ibuprofen are least likely to increase cardiovascular risk whereas diclofenac, even in doses available without prescription, elevates risk.
Results of the study showed that every year there were three additional heart attacks, four additional cases of heart failure, and one death for every 1,000 people taking the medications.
Painkillers reduce the blood levels of prostaglandin which cause dilataion of blood vessels and decrease the stickiness of blood factors. Prolonged use of painkillers makes the blood more sticky and also reduces the size of arteries whicdh leads to heart attacks and stroke.
I addition painkillers cause stomach upset and sudden bleeding from stomach. They also affect the function of kidneys and lead to kidney failure. Liver is another organ which is affected by prolonged use of these drugs.
It's important to note that this finding shouldn't alarm or concern people who only use the painkillers for the occasional headache.
This finding is particularly relevant to people at high risk of heart disease on high doses of NSAIDs, adding that "the higher your risk of heart disease, the higher your risk of a complication. Roughly speaking, if you've got double the risk of heart disease, then the risk of having a heart attack is roughly doubled."
Of all the NSAIDs analyzed, "Naproxen" didn't appear to increase major vascular events or vascular deaths. It is crucial that prescribers are aware of the risks associated with these powerful drugs.
