Nation IN BRIEF : MARYLAND : Researchers Issue Ibuprofen Warning

Over-the-counter doses of the popular pain reliever ibuprofen can cause kidney failure in people with mild kidney disease, according to a group of medical researchers. The three-year study on the drug by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore is detailed in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study examined the short-term effects of ibuprofen on 12 women with mild kidney disease who also had arthritis and high blood pressure, two illnesses that often prompt the use of ibuprofen. In an editorial, two other scientists urged the Food and Drug Administration to strengthen warnings on the labels of the drug, to urge consumers “with any serious condition” to consult their doctors before using the drug. Ibuprofen has been approved for non-prescription sale since 1985 and is marketed under brand names such as Advil, Medipren, Motrin and Nuprin.