A new study may encourage millions of arthritis patients who are seeking for pain a reliever without harmful side effects.This is certainly good news for people who have to take pills every day for chronic pain due to arthritis since it was proven that it is not hazardous to the heart. The study has found that Celebrex, a drug similar to ones withdrawn 12 years ago for safety reasons, is no riskier for the heart than some other prescription painkillers that are much tougher on the stomach.
Arthritis And Related Health Conditions
Arthritis is very common but is not well understood. Actually, “arthritis” is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. As defined by the Arthritis Foundation, there are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. Common arthritis joint symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion.
"We do not want patients to suffer with pain and we need to know what is safe to give them," said Dr. Steven Nissen, the Cleveland Clinic's heart chief, who led the study. Fear that Celebrex would be worse than alternatives proved unfounded, and "on almost every endpoint it actually comes out the best."
According to ABC News, some other doctors were less confident, partly because follow-up information was missing on one-fourth of the participants, and many others stopped taking their assigned drug. Still, several independent experts said the main results are believable. "I find this reassuring," said Dr. Brian Strom, a drug safety expert, and chancellor at Rutgers University in Newark. No new side effects emerged and Celebrex "seemed safer that way."
Comparison Of Different Arthritis Pain Drugs Such As Celebrex, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, And Tylenol Revealed
The new study tested daily the use of Celebrex versus other prescription-strength ibuprofen or naproxen in 24,000 arthritis patients with heart disease or a risk factor for it such as diabetes. The results that were published on New England Journal of Medicine, only apply to these drugs and amounts and not to occasional use of over-the-counter doses or to other painkillers such as Tylenol. The findings are not relevant to "somebody who takes an occasional ibuprofen or naproxen for a headache," Nissen said.
After two years, around two percent of the participants had suffered a heart-related death regardless of the drugs they took. Researcher was a surprise since earlier studies suggested naproxen would be safest. Severe stomach problems were more common with ibuprofen and naproxen. Kidney problems were more common with ibuprofen. The study was not designed to compare the drugs for pain relief, but naproxen showed a small advantage on one measure of that over Celebrex.
