A study showed the popular arthritis drug Vioxx might place those who take it at risk of developing congestive heart failure.
According to research, patients who were prescribed Vioxx increased their chances of being treated for heart failure by 80 percent. Some of the other problems associated with anti-inflammatory drugs include higher risks of heart attacks and kidney damage.
Based on these findings, doctors were cautioned to closely monitor patient's blood pressure because of the likelihood that it could initiate heart failure.
Doctors stated that patients with healthy hearts didn't need to worry about the drugs because it was discovered that the drugs weren't harmful to those who had normal hearts to begin with.
Vioxx Study
Results of the Study
Vioxx and Celebrex, both medications that require a prescription, work by inhibiting the chemical that triggers pain and inflammation in the joints.
In October 1999, Vioxx was approved for sale in Canada for treatment of osteoarthritis. Statistics showed that approximately one out of every five residents who live in Ontario and are over the age of 65 take medication for arthritis.
Even though the risks haven't been proven as definite, experts stated that due to the high number of people who are on some form of arthritis medication that it should be taken with caution.
Toronto Star May 28, 2004
As I wrote in a past article, at least one-quarter of Americans have arthritis or a related disease. The good news is that there are alternatives to anti-inflammatory drugs for arthritis and you can learn about some of them now.
The market for pain relievers is about $10 BILLION per year. That is one big number. That is why these are important drugs to watch. It is important to remember that anytime you are dealing with numbers that large there will inevitably be corruption, greed and negative influences that are a part of the story if drugs are involved.
You can create your own anti-inflammatory just by changing the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in your diet.
This is non-controversial and there are dozens and dozens of studies, which clearly demonstrate this. Even traditional medicine has firmly embraced these concepts.
Plus, there are alternatives to drugs for arthritis. For a drug-free, effective and rapid solution to most cases of arthritis, specifically rheumatoid arthritis, I highly encourage you to carefully read through the Physicians' Protocol for Using Antibiotics in Rheumatic Disease.
There are some general principles that seem to hold true for all people and these include:
Also, most people with RA seem to have some sort of precipitating emotional trauma. The emotional trauma weakens the immune system, which is what allows the infection to get in. EFT is a useful technique that has resulted in profound improvements in patients with RA.
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