The use of specific COX-2 inhibitors in cancer prevention has been associated with higher risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and myocardial infarction.
The pro-inflammatory alleles of COX-2 and 5-LO were overrepresented in MI and under-represented in centenarians whereas age-related controls displayed intermediate values.
These results suggested that SSG might be used as a novel antithrombotic therapeutic agents in post-myocardial infarction and also, indicated that SSG exerts anti-inflammatory effects related to the inhibition of neutrophil functions and of NO and PGE2 production, which could be due to a decreased expression of iNOS and COX-2.
Clinical use of COX-2-selective compounds has ignited strong debates regarding potential side effects, most notably those within the cardiovascular system such as myocardial infarctions, strokes, and elevation in blood pressure.