Risk Factors for UGI Events in NSAID Users

Individuals taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) often experience clinical upper gastrointestinal (UGI) events, and strategies have been recommended to lower their risks. However, studies aimed at identifying which NSAID users are at high risk for adverse events and would therefore benefit from such strategies are limited.

Now, investigators have pooled data from three randomized, controlled trials — involving more than 34,000 patients (age, ≥50) who were receiving treatment for osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis — to determine risk factors for NSAID-related clinical UGI events, complicated UGI events, and discontinuation of therapy because of dyspepsia associated with NSAID use. Patients received either the NSAID diclofe…