Ibuprofen, aspirin cause intestinal damage in 70% of people

• The risk of intestinal damage from common painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin may be higher than thought, research suggests.
• Doctors found small intestine damage in more than 70% of patients who took non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug painkillers for more than three months.
• Previously it was thought the risk of gut problems was low.
• The study, by Houston's Baylor College of Medicine, is published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
• Researcher Dr David Graham said: "We have always known that NSAIDs can cause potentially deadly stomach complications, but the extent of the impact on the small intestine was largely unknown until now."
• Dr Alastair Forbes, a gastroenterologist at St Mark's Hospital, London, and spokesman for Core, the digestive disorders foundation, told the BBC News website that it was likely that most people with gut damage linked to NSAIDS would not experience any significant symptoms.
• He said: "We should be continue to be wary of these drugs, and what this study tells us is that we should not be giving them out like smarties, or encouraging people to use them over-the-counter without consulting their doctor.
• All potent drugs have side effects, and sometimes the benefits of taking them outweigh the risks."
• Dr Madeleine Devey, medical director of the Arthritis Research Campaign said: "For many patients, arthritis pain can be controlled over the long term with much safer drugs such as a paracetamol - or paracetamol plus codeine - and indeed many, many may befit by using techniques that help them cope with their pain.
• Dr Jim Kennedy, prescribing spokesperson for the Royal College of GPs, said the study was interesting - but more research was needed to establish whether it was clinically significant.