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Subscribe To Our Syndicated NewsCelebrex Should Be Last Resort, Heart Experts Say
The American Heart Association issued strict guidelines last week for use of the controversial cox-2 painkiller Celebrex, which has been shown to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
In a statement published in the journal Circulation , the association said that doctors should use Celebrex and other cox-2 painkillers only as a last resort in patients with or at risk for heart disease.
“We believe that some physicians have been prescribing the new cox-2 inhibitors as the first line of treatment. We are turning around and saying that, for chronic pain in patients with known heart disease or who are at risk for heart disease, these drugs should be the last line of treatment,” said Dr. Elliott M. Antman, author of the AHA statement.
Association Guidelines
According to association guidelines, physicians should start with a non-pharmacologic approach—relying on physical therapy, exercise, weight loss, and heat or cold therapy instead.
“If the non-pharmacologic approach does not provide enough pain relief or control of symptoms, we recommend a stepped-care approach when it comes to prescribing drugs,” Antman said.
Doctors are urged to try pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and even temporary use of narcotic analgesics before prescribing cox-2 drugs like Celebrex, which are “at the bottom of the list.”
“All drugs should be used at the lowest dose necessary to control symptoms and prescribed for the shortest time possible,” he added.
Cox-2 inhibitors were originally designed to reduce gastrointestinal effects associated with traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. However, a number of studies have shown that certain cox-2 drugs significantly increase cardiac risks.
Injured by Celebrex? For more information about your legal rights and options from an experienced attorney near you, please contact us today.
