Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs In Patients Research Articles

Use of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as part of perioperative cataract surgery care

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the world, but it is reversible in almost 100% of cases. Activation of the immune system and the intensive production of the prostaglandins following the cataract surgery may induce clinical symptoms including redness, miosis, decreased visual acuity, eye pain and cystoid macular edema (CME). CME is the main cause of reduced visual acuity after an uncomplicated cataract surgery. In order to reduce ailments, increase comfort and prevent complications, patients receive local anti-inflammatory drugs after the phacoemulsification procedure. Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are especially dedicated to older diabetic patients and also to people who experienced some complications during the cataract surgery or in whom high ultrasound energy was released during phacoemulsification. As an element of the CME prevention, it is worth to consider the use of the topical NSAIDs in patients with concomitant eye diseases such as epiretinal membrane, uveitis, central retinal vein occlusion and after retinal detachment.

Factors affecting the results of analgesic therapy. Results of the Russian multicentre study of NOTE (NSAID: Open-label Trial of Efficacy).

To identify factors affecting the effectiveness of NSAIDs in patients with OA and LBP. An observational study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a 2-week course of NSAIDs in OA and LBP in real clinical practice. The study group consisted of 3604 patients with OA and LBP (60.6% women and 39.4% men, mean age 55.0±13.4 years). According to the study design, aceclofenac (Airtal) and other NSAIDs used in the ratio 1:1. The main criterion of effectiveness was the frequency of complete pain relief after 2 weeks of therapy. In addition, the decrease of pain and general health were determined on a 10-point numerical rating scale (NRS). We compared the frequency of complete pain relief in patients who had and did not have the studied factors. The value of the studied factors was determined using OR (95% CI). Most patients received aceclofenac (54.9%), as well as diclofenac (2.0%), ketoprofen (1.9%), lornoxicam (2.2%), meloxicam (13.7%), naproxen (2.1%), nimesulide (5.8%), celecoxib (5.9%), ethicoxib (7.1%) and other NSAIDs (4.4%); 56.2% of patients received muscle relaxants, mainly tolperisone (74.7%), vitamin B (10.4%), and proton pump inhibitors (42.8%). Complete pain relief was achieved in 54.8% of patients. The pain decrease and general health improvement were (for NRS) 63.9±13.4% and 61.7±14.8%, respectively. The efficacy of aceclofenac was slightly higher than in the whole group: complete pain relief was in 59.9% of patients. Adverse events in aceclofenac use were observed in 2.3% of patients, other NSAIDs-from 2.4 to 14.1%. The frequency of complete pain relief was higher in men: OR 1,239 (95% CI 1.08-1.418; p=0.002), who had the first episode of pain - OR 3.341 (95% CI 2.873-3.875; p=0.000), a good" response " to NSAIDs in history - OR 1.656 (95% CI 1.385-1.980; p=0.000) and received NSAIDs in combination with muscle relaxants - OR 1.218 (95% CI 1.067-1.390; p=0.004). The effect of therapy is lower in patients 65 years and older-OR 0,378 (95% CI 0.324-0.442; p=0,000), with body mass index >30 kg/m² - OR 0.619 (95% CI 0.529-0.723; p=0.000), with severe pain (≥7 points NRS) - OR 0.662 (95% CI 0.580-0.756; p=0.002), with pain at rest, - OR 0.515 (95% CI 0.450-0,589; p=0.000), pain at night - OR 0.581 (95% CI 0.501-0.672; p=0.000) and the presence of stiffness - OR 0.501 (95% CI 0.438-0,573; p=0.000). Treatment results are significantly worse in the cases of combination of LBP and joint pain, as well as pain in the trochanter major and pes anserinus area (p<0.001). NSAIDs are the first-line medications for the pain treatment in LBP and OA. Aceclofenac is effective and safe in this conditions. When carrying out analgesic therapy should take into account factors that affect the effectiveness of treatment: old age, overweight, insufficient effect of NSAIDs in history, severe pain, signs of "inflammatory" pain, multiple sources of pain.

Risk of myocardial infarction with use of selected non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with spondyloarthritis and osteoarthritis

ObjectivesSpondyloarthritis (SpA) is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) due to underlying inflammation and possibly due to medications such as certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We sought...

Comparative cardiovascular safety of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in patients with hypertension: a population‐based cohort study

Previous studies have suggested that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be associated with higher cardiovascular risks. However, few have been active comparison studies that directly assessed the potential differential cardiovascular risk between NSAID classes or across individual NSAIDs. We compared the risk of major cardiovascular events between cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2)-selective and nonselective NSAIDs in patients with hypertension. We conducted a cohort study of patients with hypertension who initiated COX-2-selective or nonselective NSAIDs in a population-based Taiwanese database. The outcomes included hospitalization for the following major cardiovascular events: ischaemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, transient ischaemic attack, unstable angina or coronary revascularization. We followed patients for up to 4weeks, based on the as-treated principle. We used inverse probability weighting to control for baseline and time-varying covariates, and estimated the on-treatment hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% conservative confidence interval (CIs). We identified 2749 eligible COX-2-selective NSAID users and 52 880 eligible nonselective NSAID users. The HR of major cardiovascular events comparing COX-2-selective with nonselective NSAIDs after adjusting for baseline and time-varying covariates was 1.07 (95% CI 0.65, 1.74). We did not observe a differential risk when comparing celecoxib to diclofenac (HR 1.17; 95% CI 0.61, 2.25), ibuprofen (HR 1.36; 95% CI 0.58, 3.18) or naproxen (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.23, 2.44). There was an increased risk with COX-2-selective NSAIDs, however, when comparing COX-2-selective NSAIDs with mefenamic acid (HR 2.11; 95% CI 1.09, 4.09). Our results provide important information about the comparative cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs in patients with hypertension.

Fibrinolytic activity of the blood plasma in gastroduodenopathies induced by non-steroi¬dal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with osteoarthrosis, regarding pathogenic Helicobacter pylori strains

Objective. This research aims at estimating the changes of fibrinolytic activity of the blood plasma in gastroduodenopathies induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with osteoarthrosis regarding the pathogenic Helicobacter pylori strains presence.Material and methods. The study involved 68 patients suffering from osteoarthrosis with concomitant Helicobacter pylori-associated gastro-duodenopathies induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The patients were divided into groups depending on the presence of vacA and cagA Helicobacter pylori strains. Helicobacter pylori strains were detected in the stool, blood and biopsy samples using the technique of polymerase chain reaction. All the patients were investigated by means of general, clinical, laboratory and instrumental methods of examination. The computations were done using «Biostatistics» and «Statistica® 6.0» (StatSoftІnc., USA) programs. Results. The increase in the intensity of the fibrinolytic activity of the blood plasma was observed in all investigated patients. However, the patients with concomitant Helicobacter pylori pathogenic and ulcerogenic strain cagA+/vacA+ experienced an increase in total fibrinolytic activity by 13,14% and 36,4% respectively compared to the patients with cagA+/vacA- Helicobacter pylori strains and by 26,92% and 60,0% compared to the patients with cagA-/vacA+ Helicobacter pylori strains. Nonenzymatic fibrinolytic activity in patients with cagA+/vacA+ Helicobacter pylori strains tended to increase in comparison with cagA+/vacA- strains and cagA-/vacA+ Helicobacter pylori strains. Conclusion. A substantial increase in the fibrinolytic activity of the blood plasma in the examined patients with Helicobacter pylori vacA+/cagA+ compared to the patients with Helicobacter pylori vacA+/cagAand Helicobacter pylori vacA-/cagA+ has been reliably established.

Effect on Risk of Stroke and Acute Myocardial Infarction of Nonselective Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

There are still debates on the association of increased cardiovascular risk with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) because of inconsistent results. Therefore, our study aims to evaluate the transient effects of selective and nonselective NSAIDs on the risk of stroke and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with RA. We conducted a case-crossover study of 5,921 stroke or AMI patients with co-morbidity of RA. All cases were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2011, according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision and Clinical Modification diagnosis codes from inpatient claims. The index date was defined as the date of hospitalization for stroke or AMI. Exposure to NSAIDs was compared during a case period (1 to 30 days before the index date) with a control period (91 to 120 days before the index date). The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of stroke and AMI were estimated using conditional logistic regression models. Our results showed that overall NSAIDs use increased the risk of stroke by 1.40-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25 to 1.56) and risk of AMI by 1.73-fold (95% CI 1.29 to 2.32). After classifying NSAIDs into selective and nonselective groups, only nonselective NSAIDs use significantly increased the risks of stroke (adjusted OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.25 to 1.55) and AMI (adjusted OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.37 to 2.41), respectively. In conclusion, nonselective NSAIDs were associated with an increased risk of both stroke and AMI in patients with RA.

Updates in palliative care – overview and recent advancements in the pharmacological management of cancer pain

Pain is a common symptom in many types of cancer. Interdisciplinary team management, including pain assessment, explanation to the patient/family, treating the reversible, non-pharmacological treatments and reassessment are essential. This article focuses on the pharmacological management of cancer pain, and overviews and updates on the recent advances in this field. Both non-opioid and opioid analgesia as well as coanalgesics (adjuvants) are reviewed. Within non-opioid analgesia the risks of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are considered and recommendations for NSAIDs in patients at risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular toxicity are made. For opioid analgesics, side effects of opioids are discussed alongside practical guidance on opioid prescribing and converting between opioids. Newer drugs such as tapentadol are considered in this update. Amitriptyline, duloxetine, gabapentin and pregabalin, and the guidance for their use are reviewed in the coanalgesics (adjuvants) section.

Trends in prescribing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with cardiovascular disease: influence of national guidelines in UK primary care

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat pain, but have potential side effects in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). To determine trends in NSAIDs prescribing between 2002 and 2010 in patients with CVD, and ascertain whether prescribing patterns changed following publication of major national (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)) guidance to GPs. This was an observational database study of adult patients in 11 practices (Staffordshire, England). NSAIDs were categorised into basic, COX-2 and topical. Study duration was divided on a quarterly basis from 2002-quarter-1 to 2010q4. CVD patients were identified using pre-defined Read Codes recorded in the two years prior to each quarter. Quarterly prevalence was determined. Times of significant changes in prescribing trends were determined using Joinpoint Regression, and compared to dates of the five major guidelines (in 2004q4, 2005q1, 2005q3, 2006q4, 2008q1). In CVD patients, the prescription of basic NSAIDs showed a decreasing trend throughout the study period, from 774 (95% CI, 691-863) per 10000 patients in 2002q1 to 245 (204-291) in 2010q4. COX-2 prescribing increased from 232/10000 (187-286) in 2002q1 to 403/10000 (348-464) in 2004q3. Prescribing then fell sharply to 102/10000 (76-134) in 2005q2 before stabilising around 55/10000. Topical NSAIDs prescribing showed a steady increase, starting at 115/10000 (108-123) in 2002q1 and ending at 270/10000 (258-281) in 2010q4. Similar trends were observed in patients without CVD, particularly a sharp drop in COX-2 prescribing also occurred from 2004q4 when initial MHRA guidance was issued. Despite guidelines and a trend toward decreased prescribing, the use of potentially harmful NSAIDs continued in CVD patients. The MHRA directives potentially might have affected patients without CVD who may have inappropriately restricted their use of COX-2.

Двойная блокада рецепторов альдостерона как способ устранения негативного воздействия нестероидных противовоспалительных препаратов при хронической сердечной недостаточности

Loop diuretic (such as torasemide) can be recommended for elimination of negative consequences of the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with chronic heart failure.

Discontinuing a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Design and protocol of a placebo-controlled, noninferiority, randomized withdrawal trial

BackgroundKnee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of knee pain in older adults. Despite the limited data supporting their use, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are among the most commonly prescribed medications for knee OA. The use of NSAIDs for knee pain warrants careful examination because of toxicity associated with this class of medications. MethodsWe describe the design of a placebo-controlled, noninferiority, randomized withdrawal trial to examine discontinuation of an NSAID in patients with painful knee OA. Participants will be veterans enrolled in the VA Healthcare System with knee OA pain despite NSAID use and/or relatively higher risk of NSAID toxicity. After a two-week run-in period where eligible subjects will replace their current NSAID with the study NSAID (meloxicam), those remaining eligible (target N=544) will be randomized to receive four weeks of either placebo or continued meloxicam. The primary outcome is knee pain (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale, range 0—20) at four weeks post-randomization. The primary hypothesis is that placebo will be noninferior to (that is, not much worse than) meloxicam within a noninferiority margin of 1. Secondary outcomes include lower extremity disability, global impression of change, adherence to study medication and use of co-therapies. DiscussionThis study is the first clinical trial to date examining the effects of withdrawing an NSAID for OA knee pain. If successful, this trial will provide evidence against the continued use of NSAIDs in patients with OA knee pain. Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01799213. Registered February 22, 2013.

Prevalence of in-hospital nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug exposure in patients with a primary diagnosis of heart failure.

To determine the prevalence of in-hospital nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) exposure and associated outcomes in patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of heart failure. We performed a propensity-matched cohort analysis of patients admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital System with a primary diagnosis of heart failure according to the International Classification of Diseases-9-Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2014. Of the 9742 patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of heart failure, 384 patients (3.9%) were exposed to NSAID. After applying propensity scores we matched 305 NSAID exposed with 915 unexposed patients. Patients with in-hospital NSAID exposure had a longer length of stay (7.0±8.8days vs 6.1±8.5; P=.003) and increased prevalence of worsening renal function (34.4% vs 27.9%; P=.030). There were not statically significant differences in in-hospital mortality rate or 30-day all-cause readmission rate. Exposure to NSAID in patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of heart failure was low but was associated with adverse outcomes including longer length of stay and higher prevalence or worsening renal function.

Antiinflammatory treatment in patients with chronic back pain

We analyzed the peculiarities of treatment of CBP in 250 patients at baseline and after 1 and 2 years. The features of drug therapy, the reasons for therapy cancellation were evaluated. 52 (20.8%) of patients with CBP were not treated with NSAIDs, 38 (15.2%) recieved NSAIDs in 4 and > days per week, 44 (17.6%) - 3 and < days a week, 62 (24.8%) took NSAID in 7-14 day 2-5 times per year, 54 (21.6%) - in on-demand mode. Absence of NSAIDs administration in CBP was associated with older age, the presence of comorbidites, with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity. The cancelletion of previously initiated NSAID was equally associated with the resolution of pain and with the failure to respond to therapy, with the presence of obesity and with the intake of nonselective NSAIDs. Continuation of the initiated effective anti-inflammatory therapy was associated with the use of coxibs, complex treatment with the use of neirobion, with the presence of normal body weight, and with the achievement of a decrease in the severity of the pain syndrome even in the absence of its complete resolution. Increased adherence to treatment with NSAIDs in CBP patients can be achieved by increasing of its effectiveness through the use of NSAIDs (especially coxibs) with B group vitamins (B1, B6, B12), by normalizing of BMI and effectively controlling liver function.

Chronic recurrent osteomyelitis: A diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

IntroductionChronic recurrent osteomyelitis (CRO) is a rare disease characterised by unifocal or multifocal aseptic inflammatory bony lesions. ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical features and response to treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with CRO. Materials and methodsA retrospective assessment was conducted on 5 children with OCR over a period of 8 years. They had been diagnosed based on clinical, laboratory findings, histological study of injuries, and imaging test. ResultsMultifocal disease was observed in 40% of cases, and unifocal in 60%. The large majority (80%) were male, with a mean age at diagnosis of 13 years (range: 11–15 years). The bones most frequently affected were the clavicle and tibia, representing 18.2%. The most common presenting symptom was pain in all patients, with fever being present in 20% of cases. Imaging studies such as CT and MRI were effective in 100%, and in all cases the biopsy reported a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. After a mean follow-up of 5.9 years, there was a good treatment response in 100%, with a mean recurrence at 5.25 months being observed. ConclusionsThe anodyne results of most clinical studies to assess CRO, and the similarity in clinical presentation of this with many infectious or tumour diseases makes its diagnosis a real challenge. On the other hand treatment with NSAIDs can be considered a good initial therapeutic option.

USE OF NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS IN PATIENTS WITH HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

The paper discusses the specific features of using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with high cardiovascular risk.

Efficacy of an acquainted drug in the treatment of inflammatory low back pain: sulfasalazine under investigation.

In the current study, the overall prevalence and the main underlying etiologies of inflammatory low back pain (ILBP) were determined, and the effectiveness of treatment with sulfasalazine was investigated in patients with inflammatory versus mechanical low back pain (LBP). In a prospective study conducted from July 2013 until August 2015, 1,779 consecutive patients within the age range of 18–50 years with a primary complaint of LBP referring to the rheumatology clinics were included. The patients were classified into two distinct groups: those suffering from ILBP (n=118) and those having mechanical LBP (n=1,661). Patients were followed-up for assessing the response rate to sulfasalazine with a mean follow-up time of 16 months. Results showed that among the total number of participants, 6.6% suffered from ILBP. The main underlying diagnoses of ILBP were undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (USpA) (61.0%) and ankylosing spondylitis (24.6%). During the follow-up period, 3.4% of the participants had an appropriate response to only nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 57.6% to sulfasalazine, 26.3% to addition of methotrexate to the previous regimen, and 12.7% to biological agents. Multiple logistic regression results showed that the underlying disease had a significant effect on the sulfasalazine response. The odds for response to treatment was 3.53 times higher in USpA patients compared to other patients (odds ratio =3.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.63–7.68, P=0.001). In 69.4% of the participants, the highest response to sulfasalazine was found, which was related to the underlying USpA. This study found that an adequate response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with ILBP was potentially increased by adding sulfasalazine. Thus, the observed response rate was dependent on the nature of underlying spondyloarthropathy.

Systematic review with meta‐analysis: the gastrointestinal benefits of COX‐2 selective inhibitors with concomitant use of low‐dose aspirin

It is uncertain whether concurrent use of low-dose aspirin removes the gastrointestinal benefit displayed by COX-2 selective inhibitors (coxibs) when compared to traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). To evaluate the gastrointestinal risks associated with coxibs and traditional NSAIDs and the interaction with concurrent use of low-dose aspirin. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library through April 2016 to identify randomised trials comparing the gastrointestinal risk between coxibs and traditional NSAIDs in patients taking or not taking low-dose aspirin. Results were combined using random effects meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses by concurrent use of aspirin were undertaken. Eleven trials (84 150 participants) were included. The overall relative risk (RR) of coxibs vs. traditional NSAIDs for complicated gastrointestinal events was 0.54 (95% CI, confidence interval 0.32-0.92), with a significant subgroup difference (P = 0.04) according to concurrent use of aspirin (used: RR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.66-1.24; not used: RR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.14-0.83). The overall RR for clinical gastrointestinal events was 0.59 (95% CI 0.47-0.75), with a significant subgroup difference according to aspirin usage (P = 0.008; used: RR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.62-0.95; not used: RR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.39-0.64). Overall coxibs were associated with significantly lower risk of symptomatic ulcers (RR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.50-0.72) and endoscopic ulcers (RR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.16-0.53) than traditional NSAIDs; a significant subgroup difference was shown for endoscopic ulcers (P = 0.05) but not for symptomatic ulcers (P = 0.27). Concomitant use of low-dose aspirin reduces but does not completely eliminate the gastrointestinal benefit of coxibs over traditional NSAIDs.

Osteomielitis crónica recurrente: un reto diagnóstico y terapéutico

IntroductionChronic recurrent osteomyelitis (CRO) is a rare disease characterised by unifocal or multifocal aseptic inflammatory bony lesions. ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical features and response to treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with CRO. Materials and methodsA retrospective assessment was conducted on 5 children with OCR over a period of 8 years. They had been diagnosed based on clinical, laboratory findings, histological study of injuries, and imaging test. ResultsMultifocal disease was observed in 40% of cases, and unifocal in 60%. The large majority (80%) were male, with a mean age at diagnosis of 13 years (range: 11-15 years). The bones most frequently affected were the clavicle and tibia, representing 18.2%. The most common presenting symptom was pain in all patients, with fever being present in 20% of cases. Imaging studies such as CT and MRI were effective in 100%, and in all cases the biopsy reported a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. After a mean follow-up of 5.9 years, there was a good treatment response in 100%, with a mean recurrence at 5.25 months being observed. ConclusionsThe anodyne results of most clinical studies to assess CRO, and the similarity in clinical presentation of this with many infectious or tumour diseases makes its diagnosis a real challenge. On the other hand treatment with NSAIDs can be considered a good initial therapeutic option.

The effectiveness of the different schemes of complex conservative treatment of animals with induced knee arthritis

The effectiveness of conservative treatment in patients with knee joint arthritis can be enhanced through the use of the linked pharmacological and physical factors. The possibility of comprehensive use of low-intensity laser radiation (LILR) chondroprotectors and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with early knee joint arthritis- depending on the consistency of their application is not well studied. Objective: to study in experimental animals with induced knee joint arthritis effectiveness of different integrated schemes of conservative treatment. Methods: we conducted experimental studyin 40 white rats aged 6 months. Knee joint arthritis stage I modeled by triple dexamethasone injections (7 mg/kg/m)performed once a week. The rats were divided into six groups depending on the treatment, which included 10 daily sessions of at la-ser therapy (a dose of 0.3 J contact on the knee joint) and per os administration of diclofenac sodium (8 mg/kg) and glucosamine hydrochloride (50 mg/kg) in the different sequences at intervals of 15 minutes. Microscopic examination of articular cartilage and biochemical blood serum analyses (glycoproteins, sialic acid, hondroyitynsulfat-, alkaline phosphatase) were carried out 28 days after the last injection of dexamethasone. Results: in all rats in the experimental groups structural irregularities in articular cartilage were insignificant compared with the control. In animals after application LILRinitially and subsequent pharmacotherapy, morphological indicatorsof chondrocytes biosynthetic activity were most pronounced, and levels of serum inflammatory markers and alkaline phosphatase activity -were significantly lower than in the control and other research groups. Conclusion: complex application of LILR with subsequent administration of diclofenac sodium glucosamine hydrochloride results in the most complete recovery of quantitative and structural-metabolic state of chondrocytes of articular cartilage and helps to normalize metabolic biochemical markers of cartilage and bone tissue.

Prolong Exposure of NSAID in Patients With RA Will Decrease the Risk of Dementia: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder, primarily affects joints. Several studies have indicated that early inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and depression in patients were associated with a considerably increased risk of dementia. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used for treating RA. NSAIDs facilitate alleviating RA-associated chronic pain, inflammation, and swelling. Therefore, we conducted this nationwide study for evaluating the association between the dementia risk and NSAID treatment in patients with RA.The RA cohort comprised patients aged 20 years and older who were newly diagnosed with RA between 2000 and 2011, with data obtained from the Registry of Catastrophic Illnesses Patient Database (RCIPD). Patients without RA were frequency matched with the RA cohort at a 1:4 ratio according to age, sex, and year of RA diagnosis. The relative risks of dementia were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models.The risk of dementia in the RA cohort was not significantly higher than that in the non-RA cohort (adjusted HR [hazard ratio] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.87–1.02). Regarding the duration of NSAID treatment, the risk of dementia was significantly lower when the RA cohort used NSAIDs for >2191 days (HR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.45–0.68).A longer duration of NSAID treatment possibly reduces the risk of dementia. Additional studies are warranted for verifying the association of dementia risk with NSAID treatment in patients with RA.

The Prescription Pattern of Acetaminophen and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

Analgesics, known to be hepatotoxic drugs, are frequently prescribed to patients with liver cirrhosis who are prone to drug-induced liver injury. No guidelines are available regarding the prescription of analgesics in these patients. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prescription pattern of most frequently used analgesics in patients with cirrhosis. We assessed the prescription pattern of acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with liver cirrhosis registered in Health Insurance Review Assessment Service database between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012. A total of 125,505 patients with liver cirrhosis were registered from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Of that group, 50,798 (40.5%) patients claimed reimbursement for at least one prescription for acetaminophen or NSAIDs during the one year follow-up period. Overall, NSAIDs (82.7%) were more prescribed than acetaminophen (64.5%). NSAIDs were more prescribed than acetaminophen even in decompensated cirrhosis compared with compensated cirrhosis (71.5% vs. 68.8%, P value < 0.001). There was a marked difference in prescription preference between acetaminophen and NSAIDs among physicians. Internists more frequently prescribed acetaminophen than NSAIDs compared to other physicians (50.9% vs. 76.2%, P < 0.001). Gastroenterologists more frequently prescribed acetaminophen over NSAIDs compared to other internists (80.9% vs. 51.2%, P < 0.001). Analgesics were prescribed in 40.5% of patients with cirrhosis. NSAIDs were more frequently prescribed although they should be avoided. The prescription pattern of analgesics were different significantly among physicians in patients with liver cirrhosis. The harmful effects of NSAIDs in patients with cirrhosis should be reminded to all physicians prescribing analgesics.