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Comparative Safety of NSAIDs with Gastroprotective Therapy

Research Report Dec 2, 2009

Page Contents

Findings from this study were published in the following journal article.

Ray WA, Chung CP, Stein CM, Smalley WE, Hall K, Arbogast PG, and Griffin MR. Risk of Peptic Ulcer Hospitalizations in Users of NSAIDs With Gastroprotective Cotherapy Versus Coxibs. Gastroentererology. 2007 Sept; 133:790-798.

Abstract

Background and Aims

The primary strategies to reduce the risk of serious gastropathy caused by traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are use of a coxib or concurrent use of a proton pump inhibitor or double-dose histamine-2 receptor antagonist. However, the relative clinical effectiveness of these therapeutic alternatives is understudied.

Methods

We studied peptic ulcer hospitalizations in a cohort of Tennessee Medicaid enrollees between 1996 and 2004. To decrease potential "channeling" bias, the study included only new episodes of prescribed NSAID or coxib use and controlled for multiple baseline risk factors for upper gastrointestinal disease. There were 234,010 and 48,710 new episodes of NSAID and coxib use, respectively, with 363,037 person-years of follow-up and 1223 peptic ulcer hospitalizations.

Results

Current users of NSAIDs with no gastroprotective cotherapy had an adjusted incidence of peptic ulcer hospitalizations of 5.65 per 1000 person-years, 2.76 (95% confidence interval, 2.35-3.23) times greater than that for persons not currently using either NSAIDs or coxibs. This risk was reduced by 39% (16%-56%, 95% CI) for current users of NSAIDs with gastroprotective cotherapy and 40% (23%-54%) for current users of coxibs without such cotherapy. Concurrent users of NSAIDs and proton pump inhibitors had a 54% (27%-72%) risk reduction, very similar to the 50% (27%-66%) reduction for concurrent users of proton pump inhibitors and coxibs.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that coprescribing a proton pump inhibitor with an NSAID is as effective as use of a coxib for reducing the risk of NSAID-induced gastropathy.

Project Timeline

Comparative Safety of NSAIDs with Gastroprotective Therapy

Jan 1, 2005
Topic Initiated
Dec 2, 2009
Research Report
Page last reviewed November 2017
Page originally created November 2017

Internet Citation: Research Report: Comparative Safety of NSAIDs with Gastroprotective Therapy. Content last reviewed November 2017. Effective Health Care Program, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/nsaids-gastroprotective-therapy/research

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