Hot Topics in Primary Care: The Cardiovascular Safety of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Putting the Evidence in Perspective.

The Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research (VIGOR) trial, published in 2000, was the first to raise concerns that NSAIDs (specifically, the COX-2 selective inhibitor rofecoxib) might be associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular (CV) events. As discussed in this article, subsequent trials and meta-analyses have demonstrated a higher CV risk with use of not only COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs) but also certain tNSAIDs. These investigations have contributed to actions by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most recently in July 2015, requiring strengthening of CV risk warnings on labels for all prescription and over-the-counter NSAIDs, despite evidence suggesting that differences in CV risk may exist among the NSAIDs.