People who take high doses of non - steroidal anti - inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ) are at increased risk of a heart attack , according to a study by scientists at the University of Montreal . The researchers examined some 450,000 patients and found that those taking NSAID - type drugs , which include the popular drug ibuprofen , saw their risk of heart attack rise by between a fifth and a half . Alternative theories include the possibility that they encourage the clumping of platelets and formation of blood clots. However , the scientists noted that most people only have a small heart attack risk to begin with , meaning that the risk of cardiac problems directly related to NSAID use is only about 1 % a year .
People who take high doses of non - steroidal anti - inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ) are at increased risk of a heart attack , according to a study by scientists at the University of Montreal . The researchers examined some 450,000 patients and found that those taking NSAID - type drugs , which include the popular drug ibuprofen , saw their risk of heart attack rise by between a fifth and a half . However , the scientists noted that most people only have a small heart attack risk to begin with , meaning that the risk of cardiac problems directly related to NSAID use is only about 1 % a year .