NEWS - Study links high doses of arthritis meds to increased heart attack risk

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Study links high doses of arthritis meds to increased heart attack risk

Taking more than 25 mg per day of rofecoxib (Vioxx) is linked to a tripling

of the risk of heart attack, said a paper presented in August at the

International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology Conference in Bordeaux,

France.

Researchers analyzed data from the HMO Kaiser Permanente for all patients

prescribed COX-2 inhibitors or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Patients

on higher doses of rofecoxib increased their heart attack risk by a factor

of 3.15. No increase was found in patients taking another COX-2 inhibitor,

celecoxib (Celebrex).

Kaiser intends to re-evaluate use of this drug based on this information.

The manufacturer disagreed with the conclusions of the study.

" Observational analyses do not have the rigor of randomized, controlled

clinical trials. ... Based on the data that are available from our clinical

trials, Merck stands behind the efficacy and safety, including

cardiovascular safety, of Vioxx, " said S. Kim, PhD, president of Merck

Research Laboratories.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/09/20/hlbf0920.htm