Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drug-Related Injury to the Gastrointestinal Tract: Clinical Picture, Pathogenesis, and Prevention (original) (raw)

Increasing life expectancy in developed countries has led to a growing prevalence of arthritic disorders, which has been accompanied by increasing prescriptions for nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 1 These are the most widely used agents for musculoskeletal and arthritic conditions, representing more than 7.7% of all prescriptions in Europe. 1 However, these figures are probably underestimated, because over-the-counter (OTC) use is not included. In absolute terms, in 2004, there were 111 million NSAID prescriptions in the United States. 2 The reason for such widespread use is the clinical effectiveness of NSAIDs, which have been consistently shown to be more effective than acetaminophen (paracetamol) for the management of osteoarthritis (OA), 3,4 and the fact that NSAIDs are endorsed in current OA management guidelines. 5,6 Conflict of interest statement. The authors have received consulting and/or lecture fees from several pharmaceutical companies and other organizations. The authors have also received research support from charities and government sources at various times. No author has any direct stock holding in any pharmaceutical company.