Recently, researchers from Vanderbilt University have discovered a strong link between a common arthritis drug and heart valve disease.
The arthritis drug is called Celebrex. It has an active compound called celecoxib.
Heart valve disease is a disease involving one or more of the four valves of the heart.
The heart condition may happen when people get older. Other diseases or physiologic processes can be their risk factors, too.
Previous research has shown that heart valve disease is a huge burden for public health, affecting more than 25% of US adults older than 65.
Scientists have shown that the arthritis drug Celebrex was no more harmful than naproxen and ibuprofen.
However, they only examined cardiovascular death and nonfatal heart attack or stroke.
In the current study, the team tried to see the long-term effect of celecoxib use on heart valve disease.
They analyzed more than 8,600 patient records from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The researchers found that patients who used Celebrex had a 20% increased risk of valve disease.
They suggest that people who are at a higher risk for heart valve disease need to consider taking a different painkiller or rheumatoid arthritis drug.
One author of the study includes W. David Merryman, professor of biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University, and Ph.D. student Megan Bowler.
The study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Basic to Translational Science.
Copyright © 2019 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
