A POPULAR PAINKILLER COMES UNDER SCRUTINY FOR ITS LINK TO HEART ATTACKS.

A POPULAR PAINKILLER COMES UNDER SCRUTINY FOR ITS LINK TO HEART ATTACKS.

courtesy : online pharmacy nz

Although not very popular in the United States, the compound Diclofenac, also known as Voltaren(c) Cambia(c) Cataflam(c) and Zipsor(c), has been found to have significant adverse effects.

Not too long a great wash of complaints came from the use of NSAIDS like Vioxx for their often fatal adverse effects.  Vioxx was taken off the market after it was linked to thousands of death from heart attacks or cv complications, and an inquest was ordered on the clinical trials of the manufacturer, to see if the company should have identified the risk before its placement on the market.

But Diclofenac  has been around for decades, since 1970 to be precise, and one wonders why this link has only been identified recently.  But recent studies have pointed out that this, like the above mentioned NSAID is just as likely to cause heart attacks as their vilified counterpart.  

Unfortunately, such evidence does not seem to have made an impact on the usage of the the medicine.  It outsells all over the counter Nsaids and many other prescription painkillers in the world.

The risk of heart attack associated with the use of Diclofenac is increased by 40% by the use of the same.   People who have a history of high blood pressure or heart disease should question their doctor about the usage.  

The compound seems to be in wider usage in developing countries and low income countries.  

Diclofenac, or Voltaren, is believed to be a more effective painkiller than other NSAIDs, but that's only because it is employed in higher doses. That in turn increases the risk of the adverse effect on the cardiovascular system.

Diclofenac, like many other NSAIDs block the production of good prostaglandins, which in turn translates in pain reduction.  However, blocking good prostaglandins is at the core of the adverse effect problem observed in the study, since the bad prostaglandins that are left have blood clotting properties.

Source: NPR news 2.12.13