(Central News Agency reporter Huang Zhenzhen, London, 22nd special report) Do you often take painkillers? According to a recent medical study, people who frequently take painkillers have a 30% higher chance of heart failure compared to the general population.

The Spanish Drug Research Center in Madrid, based on data from the British Medical Research Center, conducted a study on arthritis patients who took non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and those who did not. The results showed that patients who frequently took NSAIDs had a higher likelihood of heart failure than those who did not. Whether the risk of death also increases still requires further research.

According to the study published in the "Heart" journal, among patients hospitalized for heart failure, 14% were taking NSAIDs, with half of these patients aged between 70 and 79. Among all NSAIDs, indomethacin posed the highest risk, increasing the likelihood of hospitalization for heart failure by three times.

The report indicates that the older the patient, the more likely they are to experience heart failure from taking NSAIDs. If the patient also has conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney failure, the situation could worsen further.

For patients with osteoarthritis, continuous use of NSAIDs is necessary for survival, even with the risk of heart failure. Researchers are urging pharmaceutical companies to quickly develop new painkillers with fewer side effects.

Source: http://news. yam. com/ cna/ healthy/ 200605/ 20060523723481. html