Ibuprofen Health Alert: Anyone Over 40 Should Stop Taking Ibuprofen Immediately

Back in 2005, the FDA issued a warning about ibuprofen, saying it significantly increases one’s risk of heart attack or stroke. New research has revealed that ibuprofen – one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world – increased blood pressure more than other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Ibuprofen works by blocking the formation of prostaglandin, prostacyclin and thromboxane products, which are important mediators of inflammation and pain. Since the drug is metabolized by the liver, it most strongly affects this organ, causing injury, liver failure, or disease (jaundice) over time.

Patients taking NSAIDs should seek medical attention immediately if they experience symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, weakness in one part or side of their body, or slurred speech.

The FDA issued the following statements:

The risk of heart attack or stroke can occur as early as the first weeks of using an NSAID. The risk may increase with longer use of the NSAID.

The risk appears greater at higher doses.

NSAIDs can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients with or without heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. A large number of studies support this finding, with varying estimates of how much the risk is increased, depending on the drugs and the doses studied.

In general, patients with heart disease or risk factors for it have a greater likelihood of heart attack or stroke following NSAID use than patients without these risk factors because they have a higher risk at baseline.

Patients treated with NSAIDs following a first heart attack were more likely to die in the first year after the heart attack compared to patients who were not treated with NSAIDs after their first heart attack.

There is an increased risk of heart failure with NSAID use.

These risks make ibuprofen especially dangerous to individuals over 40 – the age at which one’s risk of heart disease begins to skyrocket.

In the UK, 10 million people suffer from arthritis with 8.5 million of these with the most common form, osteoarthritis, caused when the cartilage that cushions movement in the joints is worn away.

Currently, around 400,000 people in Britain suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the body’s joints.

It is typically diagnosed in people aged 40 to 70 and affects three times as many women as men. Keep in mind that the FDA approves of some pretty terrible medications, but even they are raising a red flag when it comes to this over the counter drug.