Why the study?
Does the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase atherothrombotic risk in older patients?
Does the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase atherothrombotic risk in older patients?
This review highlights that the atherothrombotic risk of NSAIDs in older patients may be relatively low, though interpretation is complicated by significant confounding factors.
Should not yet alter NSAID prescribing in older patients; leaves open need for randomized confirmation of low risk.
The evidence linking the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with increased atherothrombotic risk is controversial, particularly in older patients. This population is consistently underrepresented in epidemiological studies. Moreover, several confounding factors such as co-morbidities, polypharmacy, and institutionalisation might affect the interpretation of studies on the real association between NSAID use and cardiovascular risk. These issues are herewith discussed together with a proposed mechanism to explain the results of recent studies demonstrating a relatively low atherothrombotic risk associated with NSAIDs in older patients. Suggestions for future research directions are also provided.
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Mangoni et al. (2010) studied this question.
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