Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drug-Related Injury to the Gastrointestinal Tract: Clinical Picture, Pathogenesis, and Prevention

Increasing life expectancy in developed countries has led to a growing prevalence of arthritic disorders, which has been accompanied by increasing prescriptions for nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) These are the most widely used agents for musculoskeletal and arthritic conditions Although NSAIDs are effective, their use is associated with a broad spectrum of adverse reactions in the liver kidney cardiovascular system skin and gut Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects are the most common The dilemma for the physician prescribing NSAIDs is therefore to maintain the antiinflammatory and analgesic benefits while reducing or preventing GI side effects The challenge is to develop safer NSAIDs by shifting from a focus on GI toxicity to the increasingly more appreciated cardiovascular toxicity