HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY-OF-LIFE ASSESSMENTS IN OSTEOARTHRITIS DURING NSAID TREATMENT

There is some evidence that nabumetone (1000 mg once daily) in compari son with piroxicam (20 mg once daily) in patients with OA in general p ractice is associated with a lower incidence and less severe occurrenc e of stomach pain but with more withdrawals due to lack of efficacy. T he aim of this analysis was to investigate whether these differences a re reflected in health-related quality of life assessments. Patients ( n = 198) included in this study were selected in general practice acco rding to a protocol. The patients were randomized and treated for a pe riod of six weeks. Clinical assessments were performed by the general practitioner (GP) during treatment. The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and a pain questionnaire were f illed out by the patients before and after treatment. As measured with the SIP, the ADL and the pain questionnaire, there were no significan t differences between nabumetone and piroxicam. The correlations betwe en (changes in) patient assessments and (change in) clinical assessmen ts were low. The differences between the two drugs regarding withdrawa ls and adverse events were not reflected by patient health-related qua lity of life assessments. There was a low correlation between patient health-related quality of life assessment and clinical assessments. To get a complete picture of the efficacy and safety of a drug, patient health-related quality of life assessments should be a part of a clini cal trial.