T. Pincus et al., Preference for nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs versus acetaminophen and concomitant use of both types of drugs in patients with osteoarthritis, J RHEUMATOL, 27(4), 2000, pp. 1020-1027
Objective. To analyze results of treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) with acet
aminophen and the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) through a pat
ient survey.
Methods, A 15 minute telephone survey was conducted with 300 patients, incl
uding 172 with confirmed OA.
Results, Twenty-four percent of patients who took acetaminophen rated it: a
s "very helpful," compared to 31% for ibuprofen, 30% for naproxen, and 56%
for diclofenac. Drug continuation beyond 24 months was reported by 33% of p
atients for acetaminophen, 21% for ibuprofen, 17% for naproxen, and 19% for
diclofenac. Acetaminophen was significantly less likely to be discontinued
because of toxicity than NSAID. Patients who indicated that they would not
take a drug again, and therefore be unlikely to participate in a clinical
trial involving this drug, were 26% For acetaminophen, 40% for ibuprofen, 3
8% for naproxen, and 28% for diclofenac. About 30% of patients who took ace
taminophen reported concurrent use of ibuprofen, naproxen, or diclofenac. A
mong the 67% of patients who identified a drug as "most helpful," 80% named
an NSAID, compared to 20% who named acetaminophen or another analgesic as
the "most helpful" drug,
Conclusion. Patients take many different drugs for OA, most of which are no
t continued beyond 2 years. Many patients take both acetaminophen and an NS
AID, Most patients who identified a drug as "most helpful" named an NSAID r
ather than acetaminophen or an analgesic drug. These findings may be of val
ue in further development of management strategies and guidelines for OA.