Popular Painkillers Hike Stroke Risk in Elderly Patients

A new study conducted in Australia has found that some of the popularly used painkillers increase the risk of strokes among the elderly.

Researchers from the University of South Australia observed more than 162,000 Australian veterans and found that the risk of strokes increased by 1.88 times among those who took painkillers that are classified as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

The researchers observed the number of veterans who were hospitalized due to strokes and found that while the overall risk of stroke was 7.1 for every 1,000 veterans, the risk increased by 1.88 times among those who were taking NSAIDs.

"Individual assessment of cardiovascular risk, careful deliberation of the balance between risk and benefits and appropriate supervision is required when initiating NSAID therapy. Enhanced patient awareness of the potential for serious adverse cardiovascular events with all NSAIDs may also attenuate risk", lead researcher Gillian Caughey wrote in the report which has been published in The Medical Journal of Australia.

Source: Medindia