Popular Painkillers Up Heart Risk 50%

By Natalie Moore Posted March 20, 2017

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

Let’s face it — as we age, pain can become a daily part of life.

And while you can sometimes power through the occasional headache or stiff knee, often the pain is too intense.

So you reach for a painkiller.

You know, the harmless little pills your doctor recommends for everything from toothaches to arthritis.

The only problem is — lots of these drugs are far from harmless.

In fact, a recent study published by the European Society of Cardiology shows that a certain type of painkillers could wreak havoc on your heart.

Even worse — it could put you in an early grave.

I’m talking about nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and diclofenac.

And even though they are among the most popular over-the-counter and prescription drugs on the market, there’s good reason to avoid them.

You see, according to some groundbreaking research from Denmark, taking these drugs can up your risk of cardiac arrest, one of the leading killers here in the U.S.

For the study, scientists analyzed the medical records of all Danish patients who experienced cardiac arrest outside of the hospital between 2001–10.

They were searching for a link between NSAID use and cardiac arrest.

And as it turns out, they found one…

After careful analysis, the researchers discovered that using NSAIDs significantly increases your risk of cardiac arrest.

Even worse, when they took a closer look, they found that two of the most popular NSAIDs, ibuprofen and diclofenac, increase your risk of cardiac arrest by 31 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

This means taking one of these popular drugs could be the last thing you ever do.

And this isn’t the first time we’ve heard bad news about NSAIDs and heart troubles.

Just last month, the Infectious Diseases Society of America found that taking NSAIDs while experiencing flulike symptoms triples your risk of heart attack.

So staying away from NSAIDs might be one of the best things you can do if you care about your heart.

Fortunately, there are other ways to combat your pain without taking deadly drugs.

Peppermint oil, for example, has been shown to have many healing properties. It can be used topically to help reduce minor pain and can even be rubbed on the temples to get rid of a headache.

You can pick up peppermint oil at a natural health store or through an online retailer like Amazon.com. Just be sure to purchase therapeutic grade to avoid toxins and artificial ingredients.

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily

Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.

Sources

^[1] Common pain relievers may increase heart attack risk during respiratory infections

^[2] Find a Vitamin or Supplement: PEPPERMINT

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

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