Vioxx Has No Effect on Arteries; New Painkiller Doesn't Undercut Aspirin In Heart Patients, Study Finds

One of the new painkillers touted as being easier on the stomach than conventional medications doesn't appear to undercut aspirin's protective effect on the blood vessels of patients with artery disease. But it doesn't appear to be helpful, either. So says a study which found that one of the drugs, Vioxx, sold by Merck and Co., neither reduced nor increased the markers of inflammation and vessel health in patients taking aspirin and other drugs to control coronary artery disease. Vioxx is one of several medications called cox-2 inhibitors, named for their ability to block an inflammatory molecule called cyclooxygenase-2. Cox-2 shows up in narrowed arteries but not in healthy ones, leading researchers to speculate that cox-2 inhibitors might reduce inflammation associated with vessel disease. The new work, reported in the Nov. 19 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, undermines a Swiss study released earlier this year. That study showed that another cox-2 inhibitor, celecoxib -- sold as Celebrex -- appeared to reduce inflammation and promote the healthy widening of blood vessels.