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Common Painkillers Increase Heart Failure Risk

  • September 29, 2016

According to a new study of 10 million people, elderly patients taking non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprophen, naproxen and diclofenac have a 19 percent increased risk of showing up at the hospital with heart failure, BBC.com reports. The findings had little relevance for most under-65s.

Researchers admitted that because the people in the study were older, they were in general in poorer health, but it is still a concern because of the sheer numbers of people taking the drugs. Unfortunately, chronic pain is a problem that spans all age groups, with 1.5 billion people worldwide suffering.

Six surprising chronic pain triggers include emotional trauma, poor sleep, leaky gut syndrome, magnesium deficiency, lyme disease and — yes — painkillers themselves, which can encourage the development of an increased sensitivity to pain. I’ve found that most physicians are really clueless when it comes to treating pain, so here are some non-drug options for treating your pain:

Consider chiropractic or osteopathic adjustments, which can have many benefits beyond simply relieving pain, or get a massage, which releases endorphins that help induce cortisol and noradrenaline, acupuncture, physical therapy and learning proper posture.

Dietary changes to make if you are in pain include reducing your intake of processed foods, eliminating sugars and most grains from diet, optimizing your production of vitamin D and taking a high-quality animal-based omega-3 fat like krill oil. Omega-3 fats are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. (In fact, that is how anti-inflammatory painkillers work; they positively influence prostaglandins.)