Diclofenac used and recommended globally, despite cardiovascular risks
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - 21:00
in Health & Medicine
A new study finds that the painkiller diclofenac (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in the same class as aspirin) is the most commonly used NSAID in the 15 countries studied and is included in the essential medicines lists of 74 low-, middle- and high-income countries, despite its known tendency to cause heart attacks and strokes in vulnerable patients.