An American study has concluded that certain anti-inflammatories are ineffective in the treatment of osteoarthritis. They might even make it worse.
Osteoarthritis affects some 500 million people worldwide and some 10 million French people, according to Inserm. This premature aging of the joints mainly concerns people aged 65 to 80 and can quickly become disabling. To date, the treatments essentially limit the symptoms without really countering the disease. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, are particularly used. But according to a recent study, they would be ineffective in the long term, and could even aggravate the disease.
These are the conclusions of a team of American researchers presented at the end of November to the North American Society of Radiology. They observed the evolution of knee osteoarthritis in more than 1,000 patients for four years. One part received treatment with NSAIDs, the other served as a control group. However, it turned out that inflammation and cartilage degradation were worse in patients treated with anti-inflammatories.
What’s next after this ad
Treatments to reconsider
The scientific team therefore concluded that these drugs did not no long-term beneficial effects. Their use “has spread frequently among patients with osteoarthritis in recent years and should be reconsidered,” its press release concludes. However, he specifies that other studies will have to be carried out to identify the role of NSAIDs.
It is indeed possible that these aggravate osteoarthritis instead of treating it. But the authors of the study believe that another factor could intervene: physical activity. If they tried to take it into account in their work, they recognize that anti-inflammatories make it possible to limit pain. Patients under treatment could therefore tend to put more strain on their jointswhich could aggravate the wear compared to a patient who reduces his activity because of the pains.