ibuprofen linked to a 24% higher risk of heart attack

Study: 'Traditional' Painkillers May Carry Small but Serious Risk

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

June 9, 2005 -- Ibuprofen, naproxen, and similar pain relievers raise a person's risk of heart attack, a new study suggests.
Ibuprofen and naproxen - traditional anti-inflammatory pain relievers -- have been considered more heart friendly than the new Cox-2 type of pain drugs. Two of the Cox-2 drugs, Vioxx and Bextra, have been pulled from the market Vioxx and Bextra, have been pulled from the market because they increase a person's risk of heart attack.
The new study, led by Julia Hippisley-Cox, MD, MRCP, of the University of Nottingham, England, did show that Vioxx increased the risk of heart attack by 32% when taken in the previous three months. But it also linked ibuprofen -- brand names include Advil and Motrin -- to a 24% higher risk of heart attack compared with people who had not taken any anti-inflammatory in the last three years.
Diclofenac (brand names including Arthrotec, Cataflam, and Voltaren) increased heart attack risk by 55%. Naproxen (brand names include Aleve) was also linked to a higher heart attack risk, although the finding was not as strong.http://arthritis.webmd.com/news/20050609/like-vioxx-ibuprofen-may-up-heart-attack-risk
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I saw this mentioned briefly on the evening news. Can you imagine the media storm there would be if an herbal substance increased your odds of having a heart attack by 24%? It would be big news and there would be demands that the substance be banned. I'm just saying...this story was kind of,  if not swept under the rug, then at least quietly swept into a corner.