--- title: NSAIDS and Painkillers: How Safe Are They? description: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened its warning that certain painkillers can cause heart problems. canonical: https://time.com/3952889/painkillers-safety/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-10T16:08:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:36.176Z article:section: Health og:title: Just How Unsafe are Painkillers? og:description: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened its warning that certain painkillers can cause heart problems. og:url: https://time.com/3952889/painkillers-safety/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Just How Unsafe are Painkillers? twitter:description: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened its warning that certain painkillers can cause heart problems. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Just How Unsafe are Painkillers? > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: How $1,000 Could Help Your Health [Watch (HLS stream): How $1,000 Could Help Your Health](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EILRa37f.m3u8) (2:01)  _Published 2014-08-22. From acupuncture to yoga, $1,000 can go a long way to improving your health._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jul 10, 2015 4:08 PM UTC by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jul 10, 2015 4:08 PM UTC The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened its warning that certain painkillers can cause heart problems. On Thursday, the FDA updated its warnings for prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to say they increase the chance of heart attack or stroke. The drugs, like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve), already carry warnings that they “may cause” increased risk of heart attack and stroke, but the new labels will say that they “cause an increased risk” of heart failure, the New York Times [reports](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/us/fda-is-set-to-toughen-nonaspirin-warnings.html). The FDA came to the decision after reviewing new evidence about the risks. **How great is the risk?** “There is no period of use shown to be without risk,” said Dr. Judy Racoosin, deputy director of FDA’s Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Addiction Products, [in a statement](http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm107856.htm). Research suggests that higher doses of the drugs can be more problematic. [One 2013 study](http://newsatjama.jama.com/2013/05/30/researchers-try-to-quantify-nsaid-risks/) looked at more than 600 trials and found that compared to placebos, high doses of NSAIDs like coxibs and diclofenac increased the risk of serious heart problems, including heart attacks, by one-third. The research also showed that ibuprofen more than doubled the risk of major coronary events, and all NSAIDs studies were linked to a 2- to 4-fold increased risk of gastrointestinal complications. **Who is most at risk?** According to the FDA, people who have underlying heart disease are at greater risk, but the risk exists for everyone. “Today we know that the risk of heart attack and stroke may occur early in treatment, even in the first weeks,” [the FDA says](http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm453610.htm). The FDA is also planning to add additional warnings for people who have already had a heart attack. “This vulnerable population is at an increased risk of having another heart attack or dying of heart attack-related causes if they’re treated with NSAIDs, according to studies,” the FDA said in a [statement](http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm107856.htm). **What should I do?** To keep risk lower, the FDA recommends users take the drugs at the lowest dose for the shortest duration possible. People should consult their doctor about whether or not they should take them if they have high blood pressure and should stop taking them if they have any symptoms of a heart-related issue, the FDA says. _Read next:_ [_Heroin Use in U.S. Reaches Epidemic Levels_](http://time.com/3946904/heroin-epidemic/?iid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day_](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/autoplay/?xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] $ 1, 000 can really put you on the road to good health, or at least to better health. A lot of workers say that they're really stressed, unless productive. But half of workers say that stress makes them less productive at work. And there are a lot of studies that show that people who are more stressed have higher medical bills. And that makes sense. If you are stressed you may miss more work. You may go, go to doctor more often. So if you can invest $ 1000, you can really improve your health and lower your own costs. Yoga is a great way to reduce stress. It helps you with deep breathing, relaxation exercises. And a mindfulness that can really reduce your tension. Yoga classes cost about $ 15 to $ 20 each, at, that would get you doing downward dog about twice a week for six months. Acupuncture is another great way to reduce stress. It may be covered by your health insurance, so check that first. If not, acupuncture sessions cost about $ 16 to $ 120. Modern exercise has been proven as a great way to reduce stress. To incorporate it on a regular basis in your busy life, consider riding your bike to and from work. Or, taking a bike ride when you get home from work in the evening. Now, a good bike can cost you $ 1000. But think of it as a long- term investment, a good bike will last you many. If you have 10 thousand dollars, there's a lot you can do to invest in your health. A personal trainer, may give you the motivation you need to exercise, that you might not be able to do on your own. That costs you about 50 dollars a session, which could give you about 100 sessions, that you could spread out over two years. Another great way to. T find someone to motivate you is to consult a nutritionist. A first- time session with a nutitionist will cost about $ 150. But, if you wanna do follow- up sessions, to create say a health plan to see how you're doing, that'll cost you about $ 100. See if your health insurance may cover that, as well. 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