| Discovery of Unexpected Ibuprofen-Aspirin Interaction will Force a Change in Ibuprofen Prescribing | ||
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A new study published in the December 20, 2001 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has found that ibuprofen blocks the heart-protecting effects of aspirin. The study entitled Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors and the Antiplatelet Effects of Aspirin by Francesca Catella-Lawson, M.D and her colleagues concludes: "The concomitant administration of ibuprofen but not rofecoxib, acetaminophen, or diclofenac antagonizes the irreversible platelet inhibition induced by aspirin. Treatment with ibuprofen in patients with increased cardiovascular risk may limit the cardioprotective effects of aspirin." The study found that when patients took a single dose of ibuprofen beforehand, aspirin lost 98 percent of its blood-thinning power. If aspirin was taken first, three daily doses of ibuprofen eliminated 90 per cent of aspirin's benefit. The study found show no conflict between aspirin and three other arthritis drugs: rofecoxib, diclofenac, and acetaminophen. [Comment: This is a very important study and will change the prescribing habits of many occupational clinics. The findings are surprising. Before this study, I would have guessed that ibuprofen increased, rather than eliminated the cardioprotective effects of aspirin. Many injured workers receive ibuprofen to treat musculoskeletal injuries. Given this study, those injured workers taking aspirin for heart ailments should receive a different anti-inflammatory. wln] |
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