Earlier research declaring the arthritis drug Celebrex is safe to use is now being challenged by a new study that says the drug causes heart valve calcification. Researchers analyzed the records of patients who took the drug at Vanderbilt University and have made a clear connection between Celebrex and the heart valve calcification.
Two scientists from Vanderbilt took celecoxib, the active compound in Celebrex, and tested it on heart valve cells to determine whether it was a viable aortic stenosis therapy, but the results weren’t good. It made the problem worse. The next step was to prove the connection between the drug and calcification.
W. David Merryman, professor of biomedical engineering, and Ph.D. student Megan Bowler conducted the initial test and then to confirm their theory that the drug may be causing calcification, Michael Raddatz, an M.D./Ph.D. student joined the team to analyze 8,600-plus relevant but nameless patient records from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After adjusting for other risk factors, the team concluded that patients who had taken Celebrex had a 20 percent increased prevalence of valve disease.
“In this study, we’re adding a long-term perspective on celecoxib use,” said Bowler, who recently earned her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. “Calcification in the aortic valve can take many years.”
Patients who are high-risk are advised to take another painkiller or rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Also, in the study, the team found dimethyl celecoxib – an inactive form of celecoxib – could potentially slow or stop aortic stenosis. Merryman said he intends to keep testing dimethyl celecoxib for its beneficial effects on heart valve health.
The study appears in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC): Basic to Translational Science.
