Painkillers could increase the risk of experiencing an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) in older adults.
Atrial fibrillation can lead to more serious medical events such as stroke and heart failure, a BMJ-British Medical Journal news release reported. Having an irregular heartbeat could significantly shorten one's life.
The researchers looked at 8,423 people to make their findings. Researchers monitored irregular heartbeats, and even diagnosed some using heart tracer recordings (ECGs). The team gathered information on the types of drugs the study participants were prescribed through pharmacies.
The study subjects had an average age of 68.5 and 58 percent of them were women. The participants were followed for about 13 years, during this time 857 of the 8423 participants developed atrial fibrillation, the news release reported.
Out of the patients that developed atrial fibrillation, 267 had never taken non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at the time of diagnosis while 556 had used the drugs. Forty-two of the participants were still taking NSAIDs.
The researchers determined that current NSAID use came with a 76 percent higher risk of atrial fibrillation than if the drugs had never been used. This remained true after the researchers adjusted for factors such as "age, sex, and underlying cardiovascular problems," the news release reported. Recent use within the past 30 days was linked to an 84 percent risk of atrial fibrillation.
"NSAIDs may contribute to atrial fibrillation because they inhibit the production of the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase, which may increase blood pressure as a result of fluid retention," the authors suggested according to the news release.
The drugs could also contribute to the heart condition because they may inhibit the production of the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase, which increases both blood pressure and fluid retention. The use of these drugs in the first place could be due to hidden inflammation, which also increases the risk of irregular heartbeat.
"The underlying mechanism behind this association [between NSAIDs and atrial fibrillation] deserves further attention," the researchers said, the news release reported.
