Arthritis: This drug causes stomach and heart problems, that one causes heart and stomach problems

Arthritis sufferers were traditionally prescribed an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to help relieve the pain.  But eventually researchers realised that NSAIDs such as Advil and Aleve caused gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, and also increased the risk of heart problems.

So the drug manufacturers went back to the shareholders, sorry, drawing board, and came up with a new family of painkillers known as the COX-2s.  But researchers eventually realised that COX-2s such as Bextra and Celebrex increased the risk of heart problems - just as much as an NSAID.

And now researchers have discovered that the COX-2s also cause gastrointestinal bleeding - just as much as an NSAID.
This latest discovery comes after monitoring the progress of 34,701 arthritis sufferers who were given either an NSAID or a COX-2 for 18 months.

The researchers hope their discoveries will help doctors develop better treatment guidelines for arthritis.  Such as not giving the patient an NSAID or a COX-2?

(Source: The Lancet, published online 13 November 2006).


E-news broadcast 16 November 2006 No.310 [Subscribe]