Common painkillers such as ibuprofen increase the risk of heart problems by a fifth, the largest study of its kind has found.
Drugs taken by millions of people over the counter and routinely prescribed by GPs can lead to patients being taken to hospital with heart failure, researchers concluded.
Doctors have been urged to review the treatment of patients taking the painkillers, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), long term and choose other options for those at risk of heart problems.
Occasional use of the drugs for aches and pains is unlikely to be a problem. Some experts have called for a ban on selling the drugs in supermarkets and corner shops where patients cannot get advice from a pharmacist, however.
The NHS dispenses 14 million