Painkillers and Diabetes: Heart Failure Risk and Treatment Options.

Short-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with an increased risk for heart failure hospitalization among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a Danish registry study. The most at-risk subgroups were patients ages 80 and older, those poorly managed as evidenced by elevated HbA1c levels and no or only one antidiabetic drug, and new NSAID users without previous prescriptions. Several position statements already caution against both short-term and long-term use of NSAIDs in patients at high cardiovascular risk.