By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-02 16:41:31 | Updated at 2025-01-05 01:08:33
2 days ago
A top doctor has revealed which common medications taken by millions could put you at risk of a heart attack.
Dr Zain Hasan, an anesthetist in California, highlighted non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Aleve (the brand name for naproxen sodium) and Motrin (ibuprofen).
While these medications are used to reduce pain, inflammation, and fever, over time they can cause changes to the blood that raise the chances of heart attacks and strokes.
If taken in high doses and for prolonged periods, they can cause blood clots to form more easily, which can block arteries in the heart, and they can potentially raising blood pressure through fluid retention.
The FDA says the drugs can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes by between 10 percent to 50 percent or more, depending on the drugs and the doses studied.
The risk is particularly high for individuals with pre-existing heart conditions, which is why people are urged to discuss the meds with their doctor.
Next up, Dr Hasan warns about the risks associated with corticosteroids such as prednisone, which are a different class of anti-inflammatory drugs compared to NSAIDs.
These drugs, used to treats conditions like asthma, allergic reactions, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, can also cause water retention, which then can affect your heart long term.
FROM THE HEART: Dr Zain Hasan has revealed which common medications taken by millions could put you at risk of a heart attack
Corticosteroids can narrow blood vessels, leading to increased blood pressure. Over time, this damages the arteries and increases the workload on the heart, making it more susceptible to blockages and heart failure.
These types of steroids may also lead to the hardening of arteries, which makes it more difficult to get blood to and from the heart properly.
In at number three on Dr Hasan's list are chemotherapy drugs.
Explaining his reasoning, the medic says: 'Certain chemotherapy medications can affect your heart, can cause heart failure, [and] can cause breathing problems.
'[It] makes sense cause chemotherapy kind of affects every part of your body.'
Dr Hasan says the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin is the worst offender when it come to developing heart problems.
The British Heart Foundation says at the current maximum dosing limit for doxorubicin – which only a small number of patients receive – seven in every 100 people who are given this dose will develop heart failure.
From research, the charity says that it has 'established that an enzyme called NADPH oxidase, which occurs naturally in the body but is increased in disease, plays an important role in causing heart failure in response to chemotherapy'.
It says that when mice were given high doses of doxorubicin chemotherapy and the activity of this enzyme was blocked, it was found that the rodents were protected against heart failure.
Several studies back the doctor's claims
Researchers are now trying to understand exactly how this enzyme causes heart failure in response to chemotherapy and whether blocking its action in cancer patients could prevent this from happening.
Moving on, Dr Hasan says certain diabetes medications can also negatively affect your heart.
He highlights that it isn't the 'majority' of diabetes medications, but certain medications like Avandia (rosiglitazone) are linked to heart failure and can affect your heart long term.
One study found that individuals taking Avandia were 33 percent more likely to have a heart attack, heart failure, or or death from heart problems or or other causes.
Because of these links, sales of the drug used to treat type 2 diabetes were suspended in Europe by 2010 and it is rarely prescribed in the US.
Dr Hasan says when selecting a medication, sometime you have to 'weigh the risks with the benefits' beforehand.
The final drugs he touches on are stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin, used to treat ADHD.
Alarmingly, he says, these are commonly prescribed 'heavily' for children.
In the US, around 3.4 million children aged 3 to 17 are taking ADHD medications.
Dr Hasan says these drugs - which increase the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain to help improve focus and concentration - have a big impact on the heart.
He explains: 'These medications are stimulants. What does that mean? Increases your heart rate, increases your blood pressure, makes you more awake, has more blood flow to your brain.
Dr Hasan is a Los Angeles-based anesthetist
'But you think about it, if you're continuously stimulating your heart over a long period of time, it makes total sense that it could potentially damage your heart.'
One study found that people who take ADHD medications for more than five years have a 23 percent higher risk of heart disease than those who don't take medication.
As with all of the medications he mentions, Dr Hasan advises talking to a health provider before changing them.
Stopping medications suddenly can be dangerous, with a higher risk of withdrawal symptoms. Your original health problems are also more likely to return or get worse.
