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Aspirin treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is now frequently bypassed, in part because of its presumed toxicity. This study suggests that the safety profile of aspirin is similar to that of other nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Researchers compared treatment side effects by using a post-marketing multicenter database that included a composite toxicity index for medications used by nearly 3000 patients with RA. The toxicity index weighted the various drug side effects by severity. An aspirin dose below 3900 mg per day was significantly less toxic than all other NSAIDs. The toxicity of doses above 3900 mg was similar to that of ibuprofen, naproxen, piroxicam, sulindac, and tolmetin. Doses between 2600 and 3900 mg per day w…