Authors: Krotz, Florian; Struthmann, Lena

Source: Cardiovascular & Haematological Disorders - Drug Targets(Formerly Current Drug Targets - Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders), Volume 10, Number 1, March 2010 , pp. 53-65(13)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

The popular over-the counter analgesic drug diclofenac has recently been associated with increased rates of myocardial infarction among patients with cardiovascular risk as well as among healthy populations.

Although other traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (tNSAID) have also been accused to exert this risk, literature data at present gives reason to believe that the hazard of myocardial infarction is mainly associated with diclofenac. Large retrospective analyses of clinical data have repeatedly shown that diclofenac, similar as some selective COX-2 inhibitors, increases the propensity to experience adverse cardiovascular and atherothrombotic events. These associations cannot be explained with the deteriorating effect of NSAID on arterial hypertension, as the statistical associations only have been found conclusively for diclofenac and not for other tNSAID. The reasons for this novel side-effect of diclofenac may be based on the specific pharmacology of diclofenac, which, similar to selective COX-2 inhibitors, alters vascular levels of platelet active prostaglandins in a way that favours arterial thrombosis.

In this review, we summarize the clinical evidence about adverse atherothrombotic events associated with diclofenac and dissect the pharmacological reasons beyond this phenomenon in comparison to other tNSAID.

Keywords: Myocardial infarction; Diclofenac; NSAID; Cyclooxygenase

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152910790780041

Publication date: 2010-03-01

More about this publication?

• Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders - Drug Targets aims to cover all the latest and outstanding developments on the medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology, genomics and biochemistry of contemporary molecular targets involved in cardiovascular and hematological disorders e.g. disease specific proteins, receptors, enzymes, genes. Each issue of the journal will contain a series of timely in-depth reviews written by leaders in the field covering a range of current topics on drug targets involved in cardiovascular and hematological disorders. As the discovery, identification, characterization and validation of novel human drug targets for cardiovascular and hematological drug discovery continues to grow; this journal will be essential reading for all pharmaceutical scientists involved in drug discovery and development.

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Pharmacology
• By this author: Krotz, Florian ;  Struthmann, Lena

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers