Washington, Sept 27 (ANI): Cholesterol control may be especially important for heart health in patients who are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen, a new research has suggested.
NSAIDs are among the most widely used drugs today for the treatment of post-operative pain, inflammatory conditions and fever.
Despite that, the factors that affect their cardiovascular safety are not well understood and some studies suggest that there may be an increased incidence of cardiovascular complications such as heart attack or death.
This study, led by principal investigator Frank Sellke, M.D., chief of cardiothoracic surgery and research at Rhode Island Hospital, developed an animal model of hypercholesterolemia in swine to investigate the formation of collateral vessels and other effects in the heart, and the safety of NSAID and other medications.
Through their study, Sellke found that a high-cholesterol diet reduced blood flow to the heart muscle in our animal models with chronic heart disease when given daily naproxen.
They also found reduced levels of prostacyclin, a compound that dilates blood vessels and prevents blood clots.
These findings suggest that there may be a stronger risk of negative effects on the heart in patients who have high cholesterol levels and are taking NSAIDs as a form of pain or inflammation relief, Sellke says.
Though the results of these animal experiments are interesting and may provide information regarding the effect of a high fat diet on the response to naproxen and other similar medications, Sellke says more studies were needed to conclusively establish the effect of these medications.
The study has been published in the journal Surgery. (ANI)
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