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JD VANCE: “2026 is going to be a great year for the American economy. Most importantly, it’s going to be a great year for the American worker.”

BREAKING: Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan, dies at 80 after battle with cancer.

TRUMP: I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United […]

New details have emerged from the initial police investigation into the fatal incident during the anti-draft protest in Yerushalayim on Tuesday in which 14-year-old Yosef Eisenthal was tragically killed and three others were injured after being struck by a bus.

According to early findings and eyewitness accounts, the sequence of events began on Shamgar, where a bus hit three pedestrians — ages 14 and 17 — causing light injuries. Despite the impact, the bus continued driving at speed toward Ohel Yehoshua.

Footage from the scene shows the bus accelerating toward a group of protesters standing on the roadway. One 14-year-old was trapped beneath the bus and dragged for a considerable distance. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and carried out complex rescue efforts, but were ultimately forced to pronounce the boy dead.

The Driver’s Account: “I Was Attacked by Rioters”

The bus driver, who was detained immediately after the incident and questioned by police, maintains that he had no intention of harming anyone. In his statement, he said he entered an intersection that was open to traffic when it was suddenly blocked by large crowds.

He told investigators that protesters began attacking the bus, leaving him in what he described as immediate fear for his life. According to the driver, he even called the police emergency line to report the danger he was facing.

Police confirmed that the intersection was not part of a planned road closure and remained officially open to traffic. Investigators said the bus was blocked by individuals involved in disorderly conduct, creating a dangerous situation. Police also stated that the driver reported being attacked prior to the fatal incident.

At the same time, authorities stressed that all angles of the case remain under review, including why the driver continued driving after the initial collision on Shamgar.

Organizers Reject Police Characterization

While police have referred to “violent disturbances,” protest organizers have pushed back strongly, offering a different account of events. They say that the demonstration, which drew thousands, proceeded calmly and in accordance with instructions from leading rabbinic authorities.

In a statement, organizers said, “There were no clashes or riots at the protest itself. The tragedy occurred at a police roadblock more than a kilometer away from the main rally site. Our hearts are broken over this terrible loss, and we pray that we will no longer know sorrow and devastation within our borders.”

Following reports of the fatality, organizers said the protest dispersed quietly and in an orderly manner, while emphasizing that opposition to the draft law would continue.

{Matzav.com}

As the Trump administration continues to investigate a series of alleged fraud schemes at Minnesota day care centers run by Somali residents, social media users are falsely citing a Craigslist ad as evidence of such deceit. The ad, which is no longer live, said a day care center in Minneapolis’ Ventura Village neighborhood was hiring […]

New York City police say antisemitism continued to dominate the city’s hate crime landscape last year, with Jews accounting for a clear majority of reported bias incidents across all categories.

According to statistics released Tuesday by the NYPD, there were 330 suspected antisemitic incidents recorded in 2025, out of a total of 576 hate crimes citywide. That means more than half of all reported hate crimes—57 percent—were directed at Jews, translating to an alleged anti-Jewish incident roughly once every 26 hours.

The scale of the disparity is especially stark given that Jews make up about 10 percent of New York City’s population.

By comparison, police logged 52 suspected hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation, the next highest category, making antisemitic incidents more than six times as frequent. Other reported cases included 45 incidents targeting Black individuals, 25 targeting Asians, eight directed at Hispanic people, 30 Islamophobic incidents, 11 targeting white individuals, 28 based on gender, 16 involving unspecified ethnicities, and 31 directed at unspecified religious groups.

The NYPD emphasized that the figures reflect suspected hate crimes, not convictions. Investigators must establish a clear discriminatory motive for an incident to be classified as a hate crime, a legal standard that is often difficult to meet. As cases are reviewed, some incidents may later be reclassified as non-bias offenses if that threshold cannot be satisfied.

Because hate crime charges require proof of bias, convictions remain relatively uncommon. When secured, however, they carry enhanced penalties, reflecting the view that such crimes are intended to intimidate or harm an entire group rather than a single individual.

Police data shows that antisemitic incidents in 2025 dipped slightly—by about three percent—from the previous year, when 339 anti-Jewish incidents were reported. Overall, hate crimes across all categories declined by 12 percent compared to 2024.

Even with that decrease, antisemitic incidents remained far higher than any other type of bias crime. The NYPD noted that while reports surged following Hamas’s October 2023 invasion of Israel, Jews were already being targeted at disproportionately high levels well before that point.

The reported incidents span a wide range of offenses, including assaults, vandalism, and harassment.

“These numbers remain far too high and antisemitism continues to be the most persistent hate threat that we face,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Tuesday press briefing alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

{Matzav.com}

Discussion inside the White House about Greenland has intensified again, with officials acknowledging that even the use of American military power has been considered as President Trump renews his focus on the Danish-controlled territory.

Addressing reporters on Sunday, Trump signaled that while Greenland is not his immediate priority, it remains firmly on the administration’s agenda. “We’ll worry about Greenland in about two months. Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days,” he said.

During remarks aboard Air Force One, Trump framed the issue as a matter of strategic defense, pointing to increased foreign activity near the Arctic island. “Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” he said. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not gonna be able to do it, I can tell you. You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled.”

Those comments followed a statement from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who made clear that all possibilities remain under consideration. “The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal,” Leavitt said in a statement first reported by Reuters.

Leavitt emphasized that Trump’s interest in Greenland is longstanding and tied directly to security concerns in the Arctic. “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” she said.

The renewed attention to Greenland emerged just days after a dramatic U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, an event that appeared to bring Trump’s earlier ambitions regarding the world’s largest island back into focus.

Fueling controversy, former Trump administration official Katie Miller, who is married to Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, posted an image of Greenland overlaid with an American flag shortly after the Venezuela operation. The post triggered sharp backlash from officials in Copenhagen and leaders in Greenland’s semi-autonomous government.

Greenland’s premier, Jens Frederik Nielsen, responded bluntly to the image, calling it “disrespectful” and stressing that “our country is not for sale.”

In Denmark, the reaction was even more severe. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that a U.S. military move against Greenland would shatter the Western alliance. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” she said. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”

Amid the heated rhetoric, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to tamp down fears of an imminent conflict. According to the Wall Street Journal, Rubio told lawmakers that there are no immediate plans to invade Greenland and that Washington’s objective remains a negotiated purchase rather than a takeover.

Supporters of that approach point to historical precedent. In 1917, Denmark sold the Danish West Indies to the United States for $25 million in gold, a transaction that resulted in what are now the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Beyond outright acquisition, officials have also explored quieter strategies. Since Trump’s first term, administration figures have examined proposals that would encourage Greenlandic independence from Denmark, followed by a compact of free association that would give the United States a formal role in the island’s foreign policy and defense in exchange for economic support.

{Matzav.com}

In recent weeks, Major (res.) Dovi Yudkin has been exposing the abuse of Chareidim in military prison, the lack of even the most basic accommodations for Chareidi soldiers, and the astonishing reality that the IDF has no need for Chareidi soldiers, as evident by the fact that hundreds of thousands of reservists have not been […]

The names, ranks and ages of the 32 Cuban military personnel killed during the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces were published Tuesday by the Cuban government, which announced two days of mourning. Among the deceased are colonels, lieutenants, majors and captains, as well as some reserve soldiers, ranging in age from 26 to […]

Thousands of Iranians poured back into the streets Tuesday as the country’s largest protest movement in years surged into its 10th day, with a government announcement of a token monthly cash payment instead intensifying public fury rather than easing it. Demonstrations erupted across Iran after officials revealed that roughly 80 million eligible citizens would receive […]

Dear Matzav Inbox, 

I was there tonight at the draft protest in Yerushalayim. I am not repeating rumors, headlines, or social media hysteria. I watched it unfold with my own eyes. I am a chareidi grandmother, and what I saw was shameful, reckless, and utterly leaderless.

Hundreds of boys — children — were running wild in the streets. They were jumping on buses and cars, blocking traffic, and preventing drivers from moving.

There were no parents in sight. No rabbonim. No roshei yeshiva. No adults taking responsibility. No one stopping this disgraceful chaos.

Garbage bins were dragged into the road and set on fire. Plastic sheets were slapped across bus windshields, blinding drivers until they struggled to rip them off. Buses full of chareidi passengers were stuck for twenty minutes or more, held hostage by unsupervised, out-of-control boys who clearly had no idea what they were doing or the danger they were creating.

The bus drivers tried — desperately — to maneuver through the madness without hurting anyone. They were surrounded, harassed, blocked, and endangered. This was not a “peaceful protest.” It was anarchy.

And then the unthinkable happened.

People put themselves in front of a vehicle in a lawless situation that should never have been allowed to develop.

And what happened afterward was perhaps the most horrifying part of all.

After the incident, boys were singing and dancing in the middle of the road. Singing. Dancing. As if nothing had happened. As if a life had not just been lost. It is now past midnight as I write this to you at Matzav News and they are still there. Still no parents. Still no rabbonim. Still no melamdim. Still no adults willing to step in and say: Enough.

If this is what protest looks like, then someone must finally ask the obvious question: Where was the leadership? Who allowed children to be sent into the streets with no supervision, no guidance, and no boundaries? Who thought this was acceptable, let alone justified?

This was not mesirus nefesh. It was abandonment.

Tragedies do not happen in a vacuum. They happen when responsibility is shrugged off, when adults disappear, and when children are left to play with fire — sometimes literally.

If we do not have the courage to tell the truth about what went down tonight, then we will see this again. And next time, the price may be even higher.

Enough with the slogans. Enough with the posturing.

It is time for accountability.

Bella Abraham

A Bubby in Yerushalayim

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{Matzav.com}

Moshe Radman, one of the leaders of the pre-October 7 protests against the Netanyahu government, announced on Tuesday that he is joining The Democrats party, headed by Yair Golan. Before the October 7 massacre, Radman vowed to destroy Israel’s economy in order to bring down the government and also encouraged IDF refusal. Other leaders of […]

A pro-Hamas arson attack targeted the home of Andreas Büttner, the commissioner for combating antisemitism in the German state of Brandenburg. German authorities confirmed that assailants set fire to a shed on Büttner’s property Sunday in the town of Templin, roughly 43 miles north of Berlin. The attackers also spray-painted an inverted red triangle—a symbol […]

A Likud lawmaker openly urged American conservatives to turn on two of the most influential figures in the U.S. right-wing media ecosystem, warning that their rhetoric represents not just antisemitism, but a direct threat to Western civilization itself. In a speech at the Knesset, Dan Illouz, a Canadian-born member of Israel’s ruling Likud party, called […]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved to steady his administration Tuesday by publicly reaffirming his support for his newly appointed tenant protection chief, even as her past social media statements ignited backlash and drew pointed attention from federal officials.

At the center of the controversy is housing activist Cea Weaver, recently named to lead the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. Old posts and writings attributed to Weaver resurfaced this week, including statements describing homeownership as “a weapon of white supremacy” and urging followers to “Seize private property,” triggering criticism from housing advocates, property owners, and Washington alike.

Mamdani brushed aside the uproar while speaking to reporters after an unrelated appearance, arguing that Weaver’s record justified her appointment and that her work was already producing results.

“We made the decision to have Cea Weaver serve as our executive director for the mayor’s office to protect tenants, to build on the work that she has done to protect tenants across the city, and we were already seeing the results of that work,” Mamdani told reporters following an unrelated news conference.

As City Hall defended the hire, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, issued a sharp warning, saying federal authorities were prepared to intervene if necessary. Speaking on One America News Network, Dhillon said Washington was watching developments in New York closely and would act to safeguard residents’ rights.

“They should be on notice, they’re on high scrutiny,” Dhillon of city government.

She reinforced that message in a social media post later Tuesday, emphasizing that discrimination would not be tolerated under federal law.

“We will NOT tolerate discrimination based on skin color,” she also said in a Tuesday social media post. “It is ILLEGAL. [DOJ Civil Rights is paying very close attention.”

Dhillon had already weighed in a day earlier, posting on X in response to a March 2021 video featuring Weaver. In that clip, Weaver discussed reshaping property ownership through a “shared equity” framework, arguing it would fundamentally alter how families relate to housing.

In the video, she said property should be transitioned toward a model of “shared equity” that would mean “families, especially white families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well, are gonna have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have.”

Weaver’s critics note that such remarks are consistent with positions she has taken publicly for years. In a 2019 statement, she forcefully rejected the concept of private ownership, particularly in housing.

“Private property including any kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy,” she spouted in 2019.

Her views were further laid out in a 2021 opinion piece, where she argued that government action could radically reshape the housing market by intervening directly in landlord-tenant relationships.

“And, as landlords exit the market, using state action to acquire properties and leverage disinvestment to convert thousands of homes into publicly and democratically controlled land/housing,” she wrote in the New Labor Forum.

Despite the growing criticism and federal scrutiny, Mamdani has shown no indication that he plans to reverse course on Weaver’s appointment, setting the stage for a broader confrontation over housing policy, ideology, and the limits of city authority.

{Matzav.com}

Michael Reagan, a conservative author and radio host who devoted decades to advancing the principles associated with the Reagan presidency, has died. He passed away Sunday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 80, according to an announcement from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

Throughout his public life, Reagan was known for his steadfast defense of his father’s record in office and for promoting a vision of limited government and strong American leadership that defined the Reagan era and coincided with the end of the Cold War.

“Michael Reagan lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals,” the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said in a statement.

Born in 1945, Reagan was adopted by Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman just hours after his birth. He later explored the complexities of his upbringing and family history in his book “Twice Adopted,” offering a personal account of growing up as the son of two famous parents.

Despite early efforts to pursue acting after studying at Arizona State University and Los Angeles Valley College, Reagan ultimately found his voice in broadcasting and writing. He became a familiar figure on conservative radio and authored several books while also dedicating time to philanthropic causes. Among them was the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation, which he led as chairman for three years.

Ronald Reagan died in 2004 following a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s disease, a cause that remained personally significant to his son. The foundation noted that the elder Reagan expressed pride in Michael’s life and accomplishments in his 1990 autobiography, “An American Life.”

“When I read his book, I had even more of a fatherly pride in Mike than I had had before…he was happy and at peace with himself,” President Reagan wrote.

In reflecting on Michael Reagan’s passing, the foundation described it as “a profound loss,” saying that his “presence, warmth, and unwavering commitment will be deeply missed at the Reagan Library and far beyond its walls.”

Tributes also poured in from conservative leaders who credited Reagan with carrying his father’s message to younger generations and encouraging civic engagement grounded in core American principles.

“He did so much more than share stories about his father. He challenged the next generation to share the values he stood for throughout his public life. He called on them to be happy warriors in the battle to uphold the founding principles of our republic,” former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said in a statement.

Michael Reagan is survived by his wife, Colleen Stearns, their children Cameron and Ashley, his grandchildren, and his half-siblings Patti Davis and Ron Reagan Jr.

{Matzav.com}

Facing intensifying pressure over sweeping fraud revelations tied to state programs, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz lashed out at critics and rejected demands that he step aside, directing his anger squarely at Republicans and the White House.

“You can make all your requests for me to resign – over my dead body will that happen,” he ranted.

Walz then pivoted to an attack on President Trump, framing the controversy as a political fight rather than a reckoning over oversight failures.

“I will fight this thing ‘til the very end to make this state better. And the question I think they need to decide is when is the guy in the White House going to resign? When does he take accountability for what he did? Because it isn’t going to happen here in terms of us shying away from making the state better,” he said.

The governor’s outburst followed his announcement that he will not run for another term in 2026, a surprising decision given his comfortable reelection victory in 2022 and his standing as a favorite to win again.

In a separate appearance earlier this week, Walz argued that remaining in office would better serve Minnesotans than engaging in political self-defense, ending the event without fielding any questions.

“Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences,” he said in a press conference Monday that ended without taking a single question from the media.

As scrutiny intensified, Walz suggested that Republicans were weaponizing the issue to stoke fear and division, portraying their criticism as racially charged and destructive.

“Republicans want to tell you it’s too dangerous to walk down the street. Republicans want to tell you there’s nothing good that comes out of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Republicans want to tell you everybody with brown skin is stealing money, or that they’re not welcome here,” he said.

“They want to do nothing to improve this state. Their idea of improving this state is being a parrot for Donald Trump agreeing to everything he agreed with,” he seethed, frantically waving his arms as he spoke.

The controversy centers on alleged fraud across housing, nutrition assistance, and child care programs during Walz’s tenure. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson has said the losses could reach $18 billion or more.

Adding to the pressure, the GOP-controlled House Oversight Committee disclosed last month that it is examining Walz’s potential involvement in what it described as “massive fraud,” including allegations that Somali immigrants siphoned more than $1 billion from taxpayers. Lawmakers indicated that criminal referrals remain on the table.

In the days leading up to Walz’s withdrawal from the 2026 race, a coalition of Minnesota House and Senate Republicans publicly urged him to resign. The statement was signed by State Sens. Bill Lieske and Nathan Wesenberg, along with State Reps. Marj Fogelman, Drew Roach, and Mike Weiner.

“Minnesotans have been watching the fraud crisis get worse and worse for years. It has gone on long enough. This is not about politics or stunts, and we do not make a call like this lightly. The office of the governor deserves respect, and we have tried to give Gov. Walz time to act,” the lawmakers wrote.

“But leadership means doing the right thing even when it is difficult, which is why we are calling on Gov. Walz to resign. We are talking about billions of dollars in fraud that should have gone to vulnerable Minnesotans. The red flags were everywhere. Yet, year after year the fraud kept growing, and year after year, nothing changed.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged Monday that he does not yet hold federal security clearance, clarifying remarks he made a day earlier that implied he had been formally briefed on the U.S. operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The clarification came during a press conference, where reporters questioned the mayor about how he obtained information related to the high-profile military action. Mamdani confirmed that, despite being recently sworn in, he has not received federal clearance and has not completed the vetting process required to access classified briefings.

“You don’t have federal security clearance yet, and has anyone from a federal agency reached out to you or members of your team to begin the vetting to get federal security clearance?” a reporter asked.

“That briefing, yes, was conducted by my team,” Mamdani responded. “And the question of federal security clearance is one that’s on and on.”

When pressed further, the mayor conceded the point.

“So you do have it?” the reporter asked.

“No, not as yet,” the mayor admitted.

The exchange followed criticism of a social media post Mamdani published shortly after news broke of Maduro’s capture. In that message, he suggested he had received direct information about the operation, prompting skepticism and mockery online.

“I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City,” Mamdani wrote on X after news of Maduro’s capture broke.

Although Mamdani went on in that post to criticize the decision by President Donald Trump, users on social media quickly questioned whether a newly inaugurated mayor would have been included in any classified federal briefings tied to a foreign military operation.

“Called it,” wrote one user whose post on the topic received over 140,000 “likes.”

{Matzav.com}

Great joy swept through Yeshiva Nesiv HaDaas (Kaplan) following the receipt of encouraging medical news regarding the health of its Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yisrael Bunim Schreiber.

Approximately six months after a serious illness was first discovered, comprehensive test results received this week revealed a dramatic improvement in his condition.

Over the past half year, since the illness was diagnosed during the month of Sivan, the Rosh Yeshiva’s health fluctuated, as he faced difficult and painful treatments with remarkable faith and strength. This week, he underwent an extensive series of medical examinations, while the yeshiva talmidim waited anxiously for the results. Yesterday, talmidim and staff gathered for a special asifas tefillah in the yeshiva, pouring out heartfelt prayers for his recovery.

The long-awaited results arrived iovernight and brought exceptionally positive news. Doctors determined that the tumor in the lungs has completely disappeared, while the tumor in the pancreas has become benign. At this stage, the Rosh Yeshiva will need to undergo a complex surgical procedure to remove it.

Upon receiving the good news, the Rosh Yeshiva arrived for Maariv at the yeshiva, visibly uplifted, and personally shared the besurah tovah with talmidim.

All are asked to continue davening for Rav Yisroel Bunim ben Chaya Roiza.

{Matzav.com}

Medications many people reach for without a second thought can still pose health concerns, even when they’re sold without a prescription. Researchers and physicians caution that certain over-the-counter pain relievers are associated with elevated risks to the heart and blood vessels in some patients.

Doctors say the greatest concern centers on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, which are widely used to treat pain, fever, and inflammation. Studies have linked these medications to higher rates of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes.

“This is because they reduce the production of certain chemicals called prostaglandins,” Maryam Jowza, M.D., an anesthesiologist at UNC Health in North Carolina, told Fox News Digital. “These chemicals are involved in inflammation, but they are also involved in other body functions, such as influencing the tone of blood vessels.”

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said NSAIDs can affect the cardiovascular system in multiple ways.

“They can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke via fluid retention and salt retention,” he told Fox News Digital. “This increases volume, puts a strain on the heart and raises blood pressure.”

Widely used NSAIDs include ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, diclofenac, indomethacin, and celecoxib. Clinical trials have shown differences among these drugs, with ibuprofen linked to the largest increases in blood pressure, followed by naproxen and then celecoxib.

“In general, the increase in blood pressure is more likely with higher doses and longer duration of treatment,” said Jowza, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the UNC School of Medicine.

Stroke risk can also rise with NSAID use, particularly at higher doses and with prolonged treatment, she added. Among the drugs studied, diclofenac has been associated with the greatest cardiovascular danger. Ibuprofen has also been tied to higher rates of heart attack and stroke, though not to the same extent. Naproxen appears to carry a comparatively lower risk, but doctors stress it is not risk-free.

“The practical takeaway is that diclofenac is generally the least favorable choice in patients with elevated cardiovascular risk, and all NSAIDs should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration,” Dr. Nayan Patel, pharmacist and founder of Auro Wellness in Southern California, told Fox News Digital.

Aspirin stands apart from other NSAIDs. When taken in low doses under medical supervision, it can lower the risk of blood clots. At higher doses, however, it can raise blood pressure and increase bleeding risk.

Doctors also addressed non-NSAID pain relievers, which are commonly used for headaches, fever, and minor aches but do not treat inflammation. These medications primarily affect pain signals in the brain.

Acetaminophen, the most widely used drug in this category, has also been linked to increases in blood pressure, though typically to a lesser degree than NSAIDs.

“Acetaminophen was once thought to have little to no cardiovascular effects, but more recent evidence suggests it can increase blood pressure, especially with higher doses used in the long term,” she said, emphasizing the importance of blood pressure monitoring. “Its effect on stroke risk is less clear.”

Certain groups face greater danger from these medications, according to physicians, including people with high blood pressure, heart disease, a history of stroke, diabetes, or kidney disease.

“These groups are also more likely to experience NSAID-related fluid retention and destabilization of blood pressure control,” Patel said.

Age also plays a role. People 75 and older generally face higher cardiovascular risk when taking these drugs.

“Age amplifies risk largely because baseline cardiovascular risk increases with age, and kidney function reserve tends to decline,” Patel said. “Older adults are also more likely to be on antihypertensives, diuretics, antiplatelets or anticoagulants, so NSAIDs can destabilize blood pressure control and add safety complexity.”

Jowza urged patients to seek immediate medical care if they experience warning signs such as chest pain, shortness of breath, sudden weakness, confusion, slurred speech, vision changes, or a severe headache.

“These symptoms can point to a heart attack or stroke,” she warned. “Other symptoms of concern that may not develop as rapidly, like new swelling in the legs, should also prompt medical attention.”

Patel added that signs of fluid retention or kidney strain also warrant prompt evaluation.

“Patients should also seek medical advice if they notice signs of fluid retention or kidney stress, such as rapidly rising blood pressure, swelling in the legs, sudden weight gain over a few days, reduced urine output or worsening shortness of breath,” Patel added.

For people at elevated risk, Patel recommends avoiding NSAIDs when possible and considering alternatives.

“For many patients, this means starting with non-drug strategies such as heat or ice, physical therapy and activity modification,” he told Fox News Digital. “If medication is needed, acetaminophen is generally preferred over oral NSAIDs from a cardiovascular standpoint, although regular use should still be monitored in people with hypertension.”

He also noted that topical NSAIDs applied directly to joints or muscles can provide relief with significantly less systemic risk.

“Overall, pain management in high-risk patients should emphasize targeted therapy, conservative dosing and close blood pressure monitoring.”

Both doctors stressed that short-term, occasional use of OTC pain relievers is unlikely to cause harm in otherwise healthy individuals, but risks increase with frequent or high-dose use.

“I would not hesitate to use an occasional dose if it were a low-risk individual with no prior history of heart attack or stroke,” Jowza said. “I also think short-term use in diabetics and hypertensives who are well-controlled is acceptable.”

She advised patients who need NSAIDs to set clear limits, monitor blood pressure and kidney function, and avoid prolonged use whenever possible.

Patel agreed that most healthy people face minimal danger from infrequent use.

“The concern is primarily with repeated or chronic use, higher doses, and use in people with underlying cardiovascular, kidney or blood pressure conditions,” he confirmed to Fox News Digital.

“That said, large population studies show that cardiovascular events can occur early after starting NSAIDs, particularly at higher doses, which is why even short-term use should be approached cautiously in higher-risk patients.”

{Matzav.com}