Common statin and NSAID combo may cause deadly stomach and kidney damage

A new investigation by University of Toronto researchers has highlighted a dangerous prescribing cascade in which patients on statins are also given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. The combination, common among British patients, markedly increases the chance of lethal gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney damage, according to pharmacists. Dr Paula Rochon, a geriatrician at the O'Born Centre for Mature Women's Health, noted that older women are disproportionately affected.

The study catalogued 24 high-risk drug pairings, including iron supplements with laxatives and dementia drugs with sleeping pills, and used Ontario’s health data institute records to confirm their prevalence. Experts link such cascades to the broader NHS challenge of polypharmacy, where one in ten prescriptions may be unnecessary and a fifth of hospital admissions for those over 65 stem from medication side effects. They suggest automated decision-support tools and greater pharmacist involvement to flag risky combinations before patients are harmed.