ISLAMABAD: For most people, taking relatively low doses of aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen such as are found in over-the-counter products "carries little risk" of serious gastro-intestinal damage, a new study suggests.
Stomach damage caused by chronic use of high doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) "is recognized as a problem of epidemic proportions," Drs. James F. Fries and Bonnie Bruce note in the Journal of Rheumatology.
But the risk at lower doses has not been well studied.
The duo, at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, examined the occurrence rate of serious gastro-intestinal problems among nearly 9000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis who were taking low doses of aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen intermittently.
Rates of serious gastric conditions linked to the use of these three painkillers -- when used alone -- are "low and statistically indistinguishable, particularly in low-risk patients," the investigators report.
Much of the gastric toxicity blamed on aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen can be traced to using these painkillers in conjunction with other drugs, the authors report. The rate of gastro-intestinal problems increased "2- to 6-fold in patients taking other analgesics or corticosteroids," they write.
The highest rates of serious gastric conditions were documented in patients taking acetaminophen plus another drug, although the number of events was relatively small. This was unexpected, the authors admit, noting that acetaminophen is "generally considered the safest of all over-the-counter analgesics."
Overall, the team concludes, "Our study thus lends support to the relative safety of aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen when used in doses and frequencies similar to the most prevalent use of these drugs, particularly in individuals without other concurrent drug therapy." |
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