Ibuprofen Kills Thousands Each Year, So What Is The Alternative?

By Sayer Ji

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

A recent Reuters’ article opened with the following stunning sentence:

“Long-term high-dose use of painkillers such as ibuprofen or diclofenac is ‘equally hazardous’ in terms of heart attack risk as use of the drug Vioxx, which was withdrawn due to its potential dangers, researchers said.”

The 2004 Vioxx recall, as you may remember, was spurred by the nearly 30,000 excess cases of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths caused by the drug between 1999-2003. Despite the fact that scientific research had accumulated as early as 2000 linking Vioxx to increased heart attacks and strokes, the drug’s manufacturer Merck, and the FDA, remained silent as the death toll steadily increased.

The Reuters report focused on new research published in Lancet indicating the risk of heart attack increases as much as a third and the risk of heart failure doubles among heavier users of NSAID drugs.

INFLAMED: Our Default Bodily State

Why are so many folks taking NSAID drugs like ibuprofen anyway?

Pain and unhealthy levels of inflammation are fast becoming default bodily states in the industrialized world. While in most cases we can adjust the underlying pro-inflammatory conditions by altering our diet, and reducing stress and environmental chemical exposures, these approaches take time, discipline and energy, and sometimes we just want the pain to stop now. In those often compulsive moments we find ourselves popping an over-the-counter pill to kill the pain.

The problem with this approach is that, if we do it often enough, we may kill ourselves along with the pain…

Ibuprofen really is a perfect example of this. As mentioned above, this petrochemical-derivative has been linked to significantly increased risk of heart attack and increased cardiac and all-cause mortality (when combined with aspirin), with over two dozen serious adverse health effects, including:

1. Anemia[1]
2. DNA Damage[2]
3. Hearing Loss[3]
4. Hypertension[4]
5. Influenza Mortality[5]
6. Miscarriage[6]

Ibuprofen is, in fact, not unique in elevating cardiovascular disease risk and/or mortality. The entire category of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) appears to have this under-recognized dark side; cardiovascular disease and cardiac mortality score highest on the list of over 100 unintended adverse health effects associated with their use. See also our analysis of the rarely acknowledged dark side to aspirin: The Evidence Against Aspirin And For Natural Alternatives.

So, what does one do? Pain is pain. Whether it happens to you, or you witness it in another (which can be worse), finding relief is a top priority.

CONTINUE READING:

Previous articles by Sayer Ji:

• Is the Cure for Diabetes a Humble Root?
• Vegetable Extract Treats Autism Better than Pharmaceutical Drugs
• Cinnamon May Be Superior to Ibuprofen for Menstrual Pain, Study Reveals
• “Killer Germs” Obliterated by Medicinal Smoke Smudging, Study Reveals
• Coconut Water: A New Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment?
• Turmeric’s ‘Smart Kill’ Properties Put Chemo & Radiation To Shame
• 6 Evidence-Based Ways Drumming Heals Body, Mind and Soul
• Tylenol Kills Emotions As Well As Pain, Study Reveals
• Research: Plants Cure Cancer, Not Chemicals
• Amazing Discovery: Plant Blood Enables Your Cells To Capture Sunlight Energy
• Beet Juice Boosts Cognitive Function In One Dose
• 13 Evidence-Based Medicinal Properties of Coconut Oil

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