Common painkillers, such as aspirin and codeine, can cause atrial fibrillation-disturbance of the healthy beating of the heart-that can lead to stroke and heart failure.
NSAIDs (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin and COX-2 inhibitors, a newer generation of painkillers, can increase the risk of heart flutter by up to 70 per cent. Researchers in Denmark made the discovery when they profiled 32,602 patients diagnosed with the condition. They found that many sufferers were taking one of these over-the-counter painkillers.
The risk is greatest among elderly patients, rheumatoid arthritis sufferers and people with chronic kidney disease (BMJ, 2011; 343; doi: 10.1136/bmj.d3450).
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