Originally published November 4 2005
Study warns seniors to limit their combination of anti-inflammatory drugs
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Observing 12,000 patients, researchers from the University of Utah and Pfizer Inc. have found that the practice of combining non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a habit common among senior citizens, can lead to gastrointestinal complications like ulcers, bleeding and perforations.
Senior citizens, who often take a daily aspirin for cardiovascular protection and an occasional ibuprofen or naproxen for pain relief, need to take heed of a study released today that says combining the two significantly increases the risk of gastrointestinal complications including ulcers, perforations and bleeding.
Researchers from the University of Utah and Pfizer Inc. included 11,957 patients on naproxen (220 mg) and 38,507 patients on ibuprofen (200 mg) in this study that used GE Medical System's Centricity database.
Excluded from the analysis were patients who took steroids, used blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin�), or had other significant health problems.
Patients on ibuprofen and naproxen, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), were 2.5 to 2.74 times more likely to experience serious GI problems such as ulcers, perforations or bleeding than those who did not take over-the-counter pain medications.
Regular use of NSAIDS is the second major cause for ulcers caused by irritation of the stomach, according to a presentation on the Website of the ACG.
If you are taking over-the-counter pain medications on a regular basis, you will want to talk with your physician about the potential for ulcers and other GI side effects.
Since the risk of side effects goes up with the dose of aspirin, Fendrick recommends that most people who are using regular doses (325mg) switch to low-dose aspirin.
New NSAID medications became available in prescription form that also offered excellent pain relief, but like aspirin, these new prescription medications also had the potential to promote the development of ulcers and bleeding in the GI tract.
About the American College of Gastroenterology The ACG was formed in 1932 to advance the scientific study and medical treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
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