Some painkillers may worsen arthritis inflammation long-term
Taking anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen for osteoarthritis may actually make knee joint inflammation worse over time, researchers highlight at a recent conference.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly prescribed for osteoarthritis pain and inflammation. But little is known about the long-term effects these drugs have on progression of osteoarthritis.
A team from San Francisco set out to look at the association between NSAIDs and synovitis (inflammation of the membrane lining the joint) in people with knee osteoarthritis. They compared 277 people with osteoarthritis who had taken NSAIDs for at least one year with a group of 793 people who had osteoarthritis but did not take NSAIDs. Everyone had MRI scans of their knees at the start of the study and four years later.
The results showed no long-term benefit of NSAID use. Joint inflammation and cartilage quality were poorer at the start of the study in the people taking NSAIDs, compared to the control group, and worsened four years later.
“In this large group of participants, we were able to show that there were no protective mechanisms from NSAIDs in reducing inflammation or slowing down progression of osteoarthritis of the knee joint,” says lead author Dr Johanna Luitjens. “The use of NSAIDs for their anti-inflammatory function has been frequently propagated in patients with osteoarthritis in recent years and should be revisited, since a positive impact on joint inflammation could not be demonstrated.”
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