Prevention of Complicated Ulcer Disease Among Chronic Users of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Abstract
NONSTEROIDAL anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to relieve symptoms of arthritis and soft tissue inflammation. It is estimated that in 2000, there were more than 111 million NSAID prescriptions filled in the United States at a cost of approximately $4.8 billion.1 The NSAIDs have been associated with an increased risk of clinical upper gastrointestinal tract (UGI) events, namely, symptomatic ulcer, bleeding, perforation, and obstruction.2,3 The frequency of these complications in average-risk persons is relatively low (1%-5% per year of drug use).3-8 Several risk factors increase the risk of clinical UGI events associated with NSAID use. These include older age, history of peptic ulcer disease, use of anticoagulants or steroids, and possibly Helicobacter pylori infection.6,9-16

This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit: