Upper GI Complications with Coxibs or Nonselective NSAIDs

In a subgroup of patients who did not take aspirin, coxibs were associated with significantly lower risk for UGI complications than were nonselective NSAIDs.

Nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with three- to fivefold increased risk for upper gastrointestinal (UGI) complications. Randomized trials have suggested that cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (coxibs) might impart significantly lower risk than nonselective NSAIDs. Few data are available to compare the complication rates of these two classes of drugs in the general population.

To address this issue, investigators in the U.K. performed an industry-sponsored nested case-control study. They identified 1561 cases of UGI complications that occurred from 2000 to 2005 and that were recorded in The Health Improvement Network database. Cases were matched for age, sex, and calendar year to 10,000 randomly selected con…

Reviewing Author

David J. Bjorkman, MD, MSPH (HSA), SM (Epid.)