Combination therapy versus celecoxib, a single selective COX-2 agent, to reduce gastrointestinal toxicity in arthritic patients: patient and cost-effectiveness considerations

Marina Scolnik¹, Gurkirpal Singh^2
1Sección Reumatología, Servicio de Clínica Médica, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; ²Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Abstract: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used for treating symptoms of rheumatologic diseases, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Knowing their side effects and the way to minimize them is a medical responsibility. To reduce NSAID-related risk, clinicians should choose a gastroprotective strategy. This may include coprescribing a traditional NSAID with a proton pump inhibitor or a high-dose histamine 2-receptor antagonist (H₂RA), or using a cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 selective inhibitor or a COX-2 with a proton pump inhibitor. Assessing each patient's risk (cardiovascular and gastrointestinal) is a priority in order to decide the best intervention to minimize toxicity. In this article, we review some of the common interventions for reducing the gastrointestinal side effects of NSAIDs.

Keywords: arthritis, osteoarthritis, celecoxib, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gastrointestinal toxicity, cost-effectiveness