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According to a recent study, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and hospitalization for heart failure may be linked in patients with type 2 diabetes.
One out of 6 patients with type 2 diabetes would require at least one NSAID prescription (ibuprofen, ketoprofen, etc.) per year. This is in any case the observation of Dr. Anders Holt of the University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark, author of a study on the risks of NSAIDs in patients with diabetes. However, if it is already established that the use of NSAIDs can be associated with a risk of heart failure in everyone, these risks of hospitalization for this reason would be amplified in people with type 2 diabetes.
Heart failure more frequent after ibuprofen use?
The study, which will be officially presented on August 26 at the European Congress of the Society of Cardiology, in Barcelona, was based on Danish registers of more than 330,000 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 1998 and 2021. information was specifically collected on the prescriptions of oral NSAIDs (celecoxib, diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen) requested, before a first hospitalization for heart failure. Of the 16% of patients who requested at least one NSAID prescription, mainly ibuprofen, 23,308 patients were hospitalized for heart failure for the first time within 5 years. The risk of hospitalization for heart failure was notably increased after the use of diclofenac or ibuprofen. Celecoxib and naproxen were not associated with an increased risk, but probably due to the low proportion of prescriptions requested.
An observation that requires further investigation.
For the author of the study, however, it is a question of remaining cautious, and not making hasty conclusions: “This was an observational study and we cannot conclude that NSAIDs cause heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the results suggest that a potential increased risk of heart failure should be considered. taken into account when considering the use of these drugs.”
However, the risk must be taken into account. In France, since 2019, the ANSM, National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products, has issued alerts concerning non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and serious infectious complications. Noting that taking ibuprofen or ketoprofen “can lead, during certain infections, to a masking of symptoms such as fever or pain, leading to a delay in patient care with the consequent risk of complications from the infection.”