Analysis Finds Traditional NSAIDs Carry Similar Heart Risks to Cox-2s

LONDON - A new meta-analysis study shows that high doses of some traditional NSAIDs may pose similar cardiovascular risks as newer anti-inflammatory medications such as Cox-2 inhibitor drugs Vioxx, Bextra and Celebrex.

Researchers from the United Kingdom and Italy conducted a combined analysis of all the available randomized, controlled trials that compared a Cox-2 inhibitor with placebo, or a Cox-2 inhibitor with a traditional NSAID, and had recorded serious cardiovascular events.

Data from 138 such trials with 140,000 participants showed a 42 percent increased risk of heart attack or stroke in patients taking Cox-2 inhibitors, according to the study, which …