| Celebrex and Vioxx
Increase Heart Disease Risk |
 |
 The
popular painkillers Celebrex and Vioxx may slightly increase a person's risk
of having a heart attack, according to an analysis of clinical studies
of the "super aspirin" drugs. Celebrex, was the sixth-leading prescription
drug in sales dollars last year and has been used by 14 million people.
COX-2 inhibitors have had a rapid rise to fame since its introduced in
1999. The drugs are popular because they provide the same pain-killing
effects as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
such as ibuprofen, but with less chance of causing gastrointestinal
side-effects such as ulcers and intestinal bleeding. By October 2000,
annual sales skyrocketed to $3 billion in the United States. This
translates into about 100 million individual prescriptions.
COX-2 inhibitors, like older drugs such as ibuprofen , are nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. Older NSAIDs reduce inflammation by
blocking an enzyme called COX-2, but they also block another enzyme
called COX-1. This enzyme helps protect the lining of the stomach, so
blocking COX-2 can cause stomach irritation. COX-2 inhibitors only block
COX-2, leaving the stomach-protecting COX-1 untouched. GI irritation is
one of the leading causes of complications from NSAIDs. The COX-2 class
drugs are used extensively in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,
but have also been prescribed for general pain relief.
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic now warn that the COX-2 inhibitors may be
harmful . After an extensive literature review, it was found that
the
risk of having a heart attack while on rofecoxib is 42 per cent greater than if taking a placebo (0.74
per cent versus 0.52 per cent annual rate). This translate into 1 in 300 patients on the medication.
The risk is small, but statistically significant. The same danger applied to celecoxib where the
risk is 54 per cent greater (0.80 per cent versus
0.52 per cent annual rate). Researchers come to this conclusion after
extracting data from trials involving 23,407 patients. Another trial
found that people taking rofecoxib had twice as many cardiovascular
events (heart attacks, strokes, angina, etc.) than did patients on the
NSAID naproxen. This was published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, (Vol. 286, August 22/29, 2001, pp. 954-959).
What should you do ?
Cox2 inhibitors, like the widely prescribed cholesterol lowering drug
Baycor, are accidents waiting to happen. Over-prescribed and
promoted
almost to the status of "miracle" medicine, these two are the Batman and
Robin of chronic disease fighters - relieve join pain without gastric
irritation, and lower cholesterol without reducing sugar or fat intake.
This is simply too good to be true.
Side-effects are to be expected of almost all medicines. By definition,
medicines are not normal compounds found in the body. They
are bought in for a specific purpose - to relive certain symptom by suppressing them, most of the time.
In the case of lipid lowering statin drugs like
Lipitor, its suppressing cholesterol formation from the liver. In the
case of Cox-2 inhibitor, it suppress the inflammatory response of pain.
Does anyone bother to ask why is cholesterol high in the first place,
or why does inflammation occur? Serious researchers in anti-aging have
known for years that inflammation is caused by bodily insult of some
kind. Sometimes the insult is from external source, such as trauma or
repetitive overuse. Insults can also cause by chronic micro-trauma to
the cellular structure from oxidative stress.
 Unfortunately, none of these two "miracle" medicine cures the disease.
They simply suppress the symptoms, while bringing the patient down the
garden path of side effects. There is little doubt that both medicine
works to suppress symptoms. In fact, they almost do too good of a job -
often at a price !
Just remember - there is no free lunch when you are taking drugs.
The only free lunch comes from nurturing your body through a naturally
oriented whole food and supplementation program.
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