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Vioxx High Blood Pressure

New 2005 research shows that Vioxx high blood pressure risks are greater than the risks of high blood pressure posed by virtually all other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The risk of Vioxx high blood pressure is suspected to be one of the potential factors that double a Vioxx user's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. This suspicion has yet to be confirmed by clinical research, though this finding may prove vital to our understanding about the cardiovascular risks associated with all NSAIDs.

NSAID cardiovascular safety became a major national issue following the September 2004 recall of Vioxx. Vioxx was originally approved by the FDA in 1999 to treat the pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, menstrual cramps, migraines, and other chronic pain conditions. In 2003, Merck voluntarily pulled Vioxx off the market after studies revealed that their most popular pain killer doubled patient's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Some experts are currently evaluating the role of Vioxx high blood pressure risks on overall Vioxx cardiovascular safety.

Prior to the Vioxx recall, a Celebrex and Vioxx high blood pressure study was described in the medical journal, Hypertension . This study included nearly 18,000 patients who were sixty five years old or above. The study compared the effects of Vioxx and Celebrex on participants with high blood pressure and those without hypertension. Vioxx high blood pressure risks were sixty percent greater compared to Celebrex users and the general population. Vioxx high blood pressure was twice as likely in patients with a history of chronic kidney, heart, or liver problems.

Another study released prior to the Vioxx recall indicated that patients taking Vioxx and blood pressure medications were twice as likely to suffer an adverse thrombotic cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke. This Vioxx high blood pressure study, conducted in March 2004, found that taking Vioxx was contraindicated in patients concurrently taking blood pressure medications. Researchers evaluated 34,000 medical insurance claims from arthritic patients who had been taking Vioxx, Celebrex, or some other NSAID. Vioxx was found to be the only drug that increased a patient's risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack.

Research conducted after the Vioxx recall found that patients taking Vioxx were 2.6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure compared to those taking a dummy pill. The risk of Vioxx high blood pressure was greater than the high blood pressure risks associated with other NSAIDs. Celebrex and Arcoxia, a COX-2 drug that is not approved in the United States, were both found not to increase the risks of high blood pressure. This evidence suggests that Vioxx high blood pressure risks are unique to Vioxx and may not be a side effect of all COX-2 NSAIDs. Researchers are still evaluating the role of Vioxx high blood pressure on the risk of heart attack or stroke.

If you are interested in learning more about Vioxx high blood pressure or have developed high blood pressure while taking Vioxx, please contact us to confer with an attorney who can advise you of your legal rights and options.

More Vioxx Resources

MedLine Plus Drug Information - Guide to prescription and over-the-counter medications provided by the United States Pharmacopeia.

Vioxx.com - Official Vioxx Roxecofib site from Merck.

Vioxx Drug Warnings - Vioxx side effects information including lawsuit information and vioxx warnings.