A study published by the British Medical Journal suggests that high doses of regular over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen or diclofenac have the the same adverse effects on cardio-vascular “events” as do COX-2 inhibitors (like branded drugs Vioxx and Bextra).

All these drugs fall under the broad category of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs or NSAIDs. COX-2 inhibitors are simply special NSAIDs that block the COX-2 enzyme from producing pain-transporters hence helping to reduce pain.

It has always been thought that regular NSAIDs like ibuprofen are safer than the COX-2 inhibitors, but the study concludes by stating:

Conclusions Selective COX 2 inhibitors are associated with a moderate increase in the risk of vascular events, as are high dose regimens of ibuprofen and diclofenac, but high dose naproxen is not associated with such an excess.

-Via British Medical Journal

Due to increased awareness and scrutiny, Vioxx and Bextra, two popular COX-2 inhibitors were withdrawn from the market, but people with arthritis continue to take higher doses of ibuprofen. While they should not stop this overnight, it is recommended they consult with their doctor about continued use in light of these new facts. Naproxen (branded as Aleve) and Aspirin, however, have not been named as offenders in the study.

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, cox-2, painkiller, vioxx, bextra, ibuprofen

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If you have ever woken up in the middle of the night because of a burning sensation in your chest or throat, then that was probably a wake-up call (literally!) in more ways than one.

A study in the The New England Journal of Medicine reports that changes in weight can either increase or decrease the occurence of gastroesophageal reflux (commonly known as heartburn). In the study of more than 10,000 women, doctors determined that even moderate increases in weight can trigger heartburn while dropping a few pounds dramatically reduces the symptoms by almost 40%.

A good example is Suzanne Hagerty of Salem, New Hampshire. Although still overweight, Hagerty said dropping 25 pounds allowed her to stop taking the heartburn drug Prilosec.

“Since I’ve lost the weight, I have no problems sleeping and I have no issues with reflux,” said the 45-year-old human resources manager.

- Via CNN Health

The study primarily focussed on the effect of Body Mass Index (the ratio of a person’s weight in kilograms to the square of the height in metres) on heartburn incidences. I wrote about BMI in a previous post (it also has a link to an easy calculator you can use to find your BMI). A healthy range for BMI is between 19 and 24.

The study looked only at women but the study’s authors said there is no reason to suspect a different result in men.

Thomson said he already plans to apply the findings to convince his patients that losing weight may help their heartburn.

- Via CBC News

And probably the most important thing to take away from the study:

The rise in reflux should be seen as an early warning signal of weight gain, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Brian Jacobson of Boston University.

- Via CBC News

In today’s world of rising obesity we can do with all the early warnings we can get!

Live well.

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, BMI, body mass index, heartburn, weight loss

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