Painkillers and Fatal Stomach Bleeds

Last month we discussed a study published in the June 2005 British Medical Journal that found painkillers were associated with increased risk of heart attacks. Not to pick on painkillers, but in the August issue of American Journal of Gastroenterology Spain researchers report that one-third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) painkillers like ibuprofen. In addition, one-third of these are due to low-dose aspirin consumption. Worse yet, in their study of more than eight thousands gastrointestinal bleeds, they found approximately 6 percent resulted in death.