Health Alerts
Dr. Jennifer Phillips regularly releases health-related alerts to the community that are of top importance. Check back often to see the latest updates in health alerts.
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Dr. Jen would be happy to post important health alerts that are submitted to her as well. If you have any information, please email her at DrJen@naturopathynj.com.
Ibuprofen and Aspirin Can be a Deadly Combo
The common painkiller ibuprofen could boost the likelihood of heart problems in high-risk patients with osteoarthritis.
Researchers examined the cardiovascular health of more than 18,000 osteoarthritis patients over the age of 50.
The patients were taking part in the Therapeutic Arthritis Research and Gastrointestinal Event Trial (TARGET), and were either taking a high dose of lumiracoxib, a COX-2 inhibitor, ibuprofen, or naproxen.
Patients whose risk of cardiovascular disease was deemed low during the study remained that regardless of their drug regimen. But 10 percent were considered to be at high risk of a heart attack or stroke; some of these patients were taking low-dose aspirin for this problem.
When these high-risk patients were taking both aspirin and ibuprofen, they were nine times as likely to have heart attacks and strokes over the course of a year as those on lumiracoxib. Previous studies have suggested that ibuprofen interferes with the effects of aspirin.
Among high-risk patients not taking aspirin, the rate of heart attacks or strokes was higher for those on COX -2 inhibitors and ibuprofen than it was for those on naproxen.
WFTV.com April 6, 2007
Science Daily April 5, 2007
Posted on May 11, 2007 by Jennifer Phillips
Using Aspirin & Ibuprofen Can Increase Your Breast Cancer Risk by 50%
A continued debate over whether or not aspirin, ibuprofen or other related pain relievers influence the risk of breast cancer has just moved closer to one side: According to a study, taking aspirin or ibuprofen may boost a woman's chance of succumbing to breast cancer.
These findings merely stress concerns regarding the potential toxicities from long-term regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
*Breast Cancer Risks Revealed*
Researchers evaluated data on some 114,000 women (ages 22-85) who participated in the California Teachers Study. The women were free of breast cancer when they enrolled in the study a decade ago. (At that time, the women informed researchers how often and how long they had used aspirin and ibuprofen.)
During a follow-up period, some 2,400 of the women were diagnosed with breast cancer of known receptor status. When researchers broke their findings down by pain reliever or type of breast cancer, the results showed:
* Taking ibuprofen every day for at least five years increased a woman's chance of developing breast cancer by 50 percent, compared to women who did not regularly take the drug.
* Daily use of aspirin for five years or more caused a woman's risk of ER/PR-negative breast cancer (not sensitive to estrogen or progesterone) to spike by 80 percent, compared to non-regular aspirin users.
USA Today
EurekAlert
Posted on May 11, 2007 by Jennifer Phillips
Jennifer Phillips, ND
41 W Chestnut Ave,
Merchantville,
NJ
08109
US
(856) 488-7067
DrJen@naturopathynj.com
