Pulmonary embolism risk with NSAIDs identified says Pulse Today (sign-up needed), going on to say:-
Patients taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are more than twice as likely to have a pulmonary embolism than those who are not, say researchers.
Compared to non-users, patients on NSAIDs were 2.39 times more likely to suffer a pulmonary embolism, and the risk increased to 4.77 times higher during the first 30 days of exposure.
You’ll see the single comment on that page asks if this is really an effect of the drug, or is the sedentary lifestyle of most people who take NSAIDs actually the cause (those with immobilising illnesses like osteo arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, for example), and the drug is just guilty by association. A very good question and one, since I can’t gain access to the published paper (at this time), I can’t answer.
Also necessary for an informed opinion is the number of people involved. Not the test population – that’s fine – but 2.39 or 4.77 time WHAT exactly? If the actual risk is, say, 12 in 100,000 people, then even a 4.77 times increase doesn’t make it a really serious risk at all. Without knowing the base-line risk (for non-users), the increased-risk factors are meaningless (see below**).
It will, however, dissuade me from taking my Naproxen unless I absolutely have to – sometimes you just have to accept the risk if you want the benefits, with drugs as with so many things in life. I mean, I’m taking Dihydrocodeine in the knowledge that they can cause pulmonary oedema (an accumulation of fluid in the lungs). The operative word is “can”. Not “will” or “likely to” – so I thing the risk is acceptable, especially as pulmonary oedema, should it occur, it treatable and my pain, untreated, is intolerable (even treated it’s not that great!).
If you’re worried, go talk to your doctor, who should be able to access the base-line figures and enable you to decide if it’s a risk you want to take.
** As far as I can see the baseline figure for Pulmonary Embolism is about 10 in 100,000. So a low risk. Still low, at 47.7 in 100,00 maximum.
Pulmonary embolism risk with NSAIDs identified says Pulse Today (sign-up needed), going on to say:-
Patients taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are more than twice as likely to have a pulmonary embolism than those who are not, say researchers.
Compared to non-users, patients on NSAIDs were 2.39 times more likely to suffer a pulmonary embolism, and the risk increased to 4.77 times higher during the first 30 days of exposure.
You’ll see the single comment on that page asks if this is really an effect of the drug, or is the sedentary lifestyle of most people who take NSAIDs actually the cause (those with immobilising illnesses like osteo arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, for example), and the drug is just guilty by association. A very good question and one, since I can’t gain access to the published paper (at this time), I can’t answer.
Also necessary for an informed opinion is the number of people involved. Not the test population – that’s fine – but 2.39 or 4.77 time WHAT exactly? If the actual risk is, say, 12 in 100,000 people, then even a 4.77 times increase doesn’t make it a really serious risk at all. Without knowing the base-line risk (for non-users), the increased-risk factors are meaningless (see below**).
It will, however, dissuade me from taking my Naproxen unless I absolutely have to – sometimes you just have to accept the risk if you want the benefits, with drugs as with so many things in life. I mean, I’m taking Dihydrocodeine in the knowledge that they can cause pulmonary oedema (an accumulation of fluid in the lungs). The operative word is “can”. Not “will” or “likely to” – so I thing the risk is acceptable, especially as pulmonary oedema, should it occur, it treatable and my pain, untreated, is intolerable (even treated it’s not that great!).
If you’re worried, go talk to your doctor, who should be able to access the base-line figures and enable you to decide if it’s a risk you want to take.
** As far as I can see the baseline figure for Pulmonary Embolism is about 10 in 100,000. So a low risk. Still low, at 47.7 in 100,00 maximum.