Pain medications linked to higher cardiovascular risk in osteoarthritis patients

A new study suggests that a drug, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) that helps control the pain and inflammation in individuals with osteoarthritis (OA), may lead to cardiovascular side effects.

The study, published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology, matched 7,743 OA patients with 23,229 non-OA controls. The risk of developing cardiovascular disease among people with OA was 23 per cent higher compared with people without OA.

Among secondary outcomes assessed in the study, the risk of congestive heart failure was 42 per cent higher among people with OA compared with people without OA, followed by a 17 per cent greater risk of ischemic heart disease and a 14 per cent greater risk of stroke.

Investigators found that approximately 41per cent of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people with OA was mediated through their NSAID use. NSAIDs also played a substantial role in developing the study's secondary outcomes.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study to evaluate the mediating role of NSAID use in the relationship between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease in a large population-based sample. Our results indicate that osteoarthritis is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and suggest a substantial proportion of the increased risk is due to the use of NSAIDs," said Aslam Anis, senior author of the study

"This is highly relevant because NSAIDs are some of the most commonly used drugs to manage pain in patients with osteoarthritis. It's important for people with OA to talk to their care providers and discuss the risks and benefits of NSAIDs," Anis added.