Study Shows How Painkillers Raise Heart Risk

"Painkillers called COX-2 inhibitors may increase the risk of heart attacks by raising blood pressure and making the blood more likely to clot, researchers said on Thursday. They do so by the same mechanisms that they use to reduce pain and inflammation, said University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researcher Dr. Garret FitzGerald, who led the study. But the finding shows that a new generation of anti-inflammatory drugs could avoid the problem, FitzGerald reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation."