Ibuprofen may cause heart attacks - full disclosure of all data - including industry safety data - is essential

Speaking at the annual European conference of rheumatology, EULAR 2005, in Vienna, Austria, today (Friday 10 June 2005), Dr. Gurkirpal Singh, from Stanford University, USA, said:

“As doctors, we are concerned by the news that ibuprofen and other NSAIDs may cause heart attacks. This is one in a line of recent reports that seem to show serious side effects linked to painkillers used by millions of people with arthritis around the world. This case is particularly worrying since many of these medicines are available without a prescription in many countries.

In order to try to settle this question once and for all, full disclosure of all data - including industry safety data – is essential. Only then can decisions on whether or not to prescribe particular classes of drugs can be made on the basis of proper information. People who are sick with arthritis already have enough to worry about without having to juggle the seemingly endless stream of conflicting reports on drug side effects.

Until this is available, doctors and patients together need to consider individual risk factors related to the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems when deciding which types of drugs to use. Patients need to be able make informed decisions about their treatment, and doctors and pharmacists need to be sure that they are in full possession of the facts relating to drug safety. The protection of the public´s health is paramount and the pharmaceutical industry should take the necessary steps to play its part.”