The cardiovascular risks associated with rofecoxib use are more acute than previously thought, according to Canadian researchers. Levesque and colleagues analysed data from 526 patients aged 66 years or older who were current users of either rofecoxib (n = 239) or celecoxib (n = 287) and who had had a first acute myocardial infarction (MI) during an average follow-up period of 2.4 years. The risk of a first MI was highest following first-time use of rofecoxib — about a quarter of those who had an MI experienced it within the first few weeks of use, corresponding to the highest period of risk for this agent.
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