Diclofenac and Increased Cardiovascular Risk

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), which is the equivalent of the FDA in the UK, recently issued a safety warning resulting from an international review performed by the Hull York Medical School.  The review indicates that the use of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as diclofenac, can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke by one-third.  While the results of this study are not new (remember all the news about Vioxx and Bextra?), the MHRA continues to study the safety of NSAIDS and recommends that all NSAIDS should be used for the shortest time and at the lowest dose possible to control pain.  Talk to your doctor, but I always tell my clients to take only the drugs that are absolutely necessary to their well being, and no more!