Authors

  1. Section Editor(s): Pfeifer, Gail M. MA, RN

Article Content

Hypertensive patients with coronary heart disease should avoid nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Such patients are at increased risk for death and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke, according to a report in the July 2011 issue of the American Journal of Medicine. The study followed 882 chronic NSAID users and 21,694 nonchronic NSAID users (two-thirds of whom never used NSAIDs) for a mean of 2.7 years. Chronic NSAID users had a 47% higher risk of death or nonfatal MI or stroke, including a 90% increase in all-cause mortality, a 126% increase in cardiovascular deaths, and a 66% increase in total MIs. It's unknown whether specific NSAIDs raise these risks. "Among coronary artery disease patients with hypertension, chronic self-reported use of NSAIDs was associated with harmful outcomes, and this practice should be avoided where possible," write the authors.