The anti-inflammatory medication Voltaren is one of the most-sold pain medications worldwide. A recent study has shown a link to heart attacks.

Voltaren, the active ingredient of which is diclofenac, is used as an anti-inflammatory pain reliever. A recent Danish study in the British Medical Journal has detailed the dangers of this type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Three researchers studied the risk of using Voltaren in 252 separate studies compared to other pain medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. The result of the study revealed that, for those with arthritis or rheumatic pain, using Voltaren is linked to an increased risk of heart problems.

According to the researches, the risk of cardiovascular issues rises by 20% compared to ibuprofen users and by an additional 30% for naproxen users.

Environmental impact

Further to that point, Voltaren is responsible for the near extinction of vultures in India. Vultures are crucial for public sanitation as they consume animal corpses, getting rid of them in the process. In India, vultures have been found to consume flesh that had a strong concentration of the medication. Unfortunately, diclofenac is fatal to vultures and consequently this led to a decline in the vulture population.

The phenomenon has had a knock-on effect on human health and public sanitation, as vultures were no longer present to fulfil their purpose as 'nature's cleaners'. According to the French science journal, Sciences et Avenir, new illnesses also became prevalent as a consequence of the decline in the vulture population.

As a result, authorities banned the use of the drug for veterinary purposes.