Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have just published a study which indicates that the combination of low-dose aspirin and ibuprofin increases the risk of heart attack by a factor of nine.
The cardiovascular health of 18,523 patients over 50 years age with osteoarthritis were compared by researchers in the TARGET trial.
Low dose aspirin is often prescribed for blood thinning in patients with cardiovascular risk, while ibuprofin is prescribed to relieve pain in patients with arthritis. Apparently this combination can be deadly.
“This is the first randomized trial evidence to show risk of interaction between ibuprofen and aspirin to be real,” said Dr. Farkouh. “Doctors should not give high risk cardiovascular patients ibuprofen for pain while they are taking aspirin for their heart. Cardiologists, rheumatologists and gastroenterologists need to work together to fully evaluate the evidence at hand to make proper recommendations to primary care physicians.”
Suggestion: avoid both drugs, consider cetyl myristoleate (CMO) or hyaluronic acid for joint issues and nattokinase for circulation. Rather than just addressing pain relief, CMO acts to lubricate the joints and reduce inflammation, while hyaluronic acid is the water-holding matrix of the synovial fluid which acts to cushion the joints, contributing to a reduction in inflammation and pain. Nattokinase, a systemic enzyme derived from the fermented soy food natto, supports good circulation and thus cardiovascular health.
Source: Mount Sinai School of Medicine Press Release April 5, 2007
By: Howard Simon