A painkiller used by millions could cause heart failure: "Doctors must weigh the risks."

The alarming findings of a new study on pregabalin , a painkiller prescribed to millions of people worldwide, have led its researchers to urge doctors to carefully assess cardiovascular risks before prescribing the drug, especially in older or vulnerable patients.

This anticonvulsant drug is frequently used to treat chronic nerve pain, anxiety, and epilepsy. According to the Daily Mail , the recent study linked taking pregabalin to a 48% increased risk of developing heart failure.

The risk percentage increases to 85% in people with a history of heart disease, compared to other patients who received gabapentin, a similar drug used to control chronic pain.

Possible side effects listed by the NHS include hallucinations, blood in the urine, and weight gain, as well as anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction.

To all of these, researchers from the Irving Medical Center of Columbia University (USA) add that pregabalin can also cause heart failure or worsen it .

Their findings support the current European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommendation to prescribe this drug with caution , especially to older adults with heart disease.

"Clinicians should weigh the potential cardiovascular risks associated with pregabalin against its benefits," says Dr. Robert Zhang, a renowned cardiologist who was not involved in the study but has written about it with other experts.

In this regard, they warn that "if pregabalin use is associated with new-onset heart failure, it increases the possibility that the drug could reveal underlying heart disease , suggesting the need for careful cardiac evaluation before prescribing this medication."

In their view, this study "serves as an important reminder that not all gabapentinoids are created equal and that, in the quest for safer pain control, monitoring for unwanted harm remains paramount," they conclude.