Heart Risks Associated with Celebrex Using data from a clinical trial of celecoxib to prevent colorectal adenomas, these investigators analyzed cardiovascular events over a three-year follow-up period. There was a dose-related increase in the risk of a composite outcome of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure. The hazard ratio was 2.3 with a 200-mg dose and 3.4 with a 400-mg dose. These results raise concern that the use of celecoxib is associated with a serious risk of cardiovascular events.

COX-2 Inhibition and Cardiovascular Risk after CABG Surgery   When administered to patients for pain control after coronary-artery bypass surgery, valdecoxib and its intravenous prodrug, parecoxib, were found to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular thromboembolic events. These findings add to the growing concern that the use of COX-2 inhibitors increases the risk of cardiovascular events, particularly in persons who are at risk for such events.

In a study comparing new and old anti-inflammatory medications, those treated with anti-inflammatory pain medication Vioxx seem to have had a higher risk of heart attack compared to traditional anti-inflammatory medications such as Motrin. Celebrex seem to have the lowest risk and those who took Naprosyn had the highest risk. These were reported in a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM). There are also conflicting reports on the risks of these medications as cited in other studies. The recommendations of the American College of Rheumatology about the use of these medications is listed here.

For patients with proliferative lupus nephritis, short-term treatment with intravenous Cytoxan followed by maintenance therapy with mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine appears to be more effective and safer than long-term therapy with intravenous Cytoxan. The New England Journal of Medicine

Fosomax is effective in preventing bone loss and reduced the rates of fracture after cardiac transplantation. The New England Journal of Medicine

Treatment of selected patients with AL amyloidosis, a fatal disease resulting from tissue deposition of amyloid fibrils derived from monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains,  by using high-dose melphalan and stem-cell transplantation resulted in hematologic remission, improved 5-year survival from 5 months to 4.8 years, and reversal of amyloid-related disease in a substantial proportion (40%). This study showed that there are better treatments now available for Amyloidosis with increase in rates of remission and survival. The Annals of Internal Medicine