top of page
Search
Writer's pictureACS BCP

ARE ALL NSAIDS THE SAME? - AN IBUPROFEN SAFETY REVIEW.

INTRODUCTION:

Ibuprofen has been available as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug for over 50 years and it remains one of the world's most used drugs and a mainstay of pain relief. All effective drugs have risks as well as benefits, but among OTC NSAIDs, Ibuprofen has been demonstrated over decades to possess a favorable safety profile. However, it is critical for the pharmaceutical industry to review its safety.



RESEARCH:

Ibuprofen remains to be of huge clinical interest with over 1200 publications since January 2018 and a "middle of the road" drug that is not selective toward either Cox-1 or Cox-2. Its safety profile is comparatively approving to other widely used NSAID agents. The most commonly reported adverse effects may be described as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular but the incidence is relatively rare.

ARE ALL NSAIDS THE SAME? - AN IBUPROFEN SAFETY REVIEW.



INTRODUCTION:

Ibuprofen has been available as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug for over 50 years and it remains one of the world's most used drugs and a mainstay of pain relief. All effective drugs have risks as well as benefits, but among OTC NSAIDs, Ibuprofen has been demonstrated over decades to possess a favorable safety profile. However, it is critical for the pharmaceutical industry to review its safety.


RESEARCH:

Ibuprofen remains to be of huge clinical interest with over 1200 publications since January 2018 and a "middle of the road" drug that is not selective toward either Cox-1 or Cox-2. Its safety profile is comparatively approving to other widely used NSAID agents. The most commonly reported adverse effects may be described as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular but the incidence is relatively rare.



Gastrointestinal Safety:

There are known risk factors for GI adverse effects with NSAIDs, including but not limited to Ibuprofen. Older age confers risk along with other risk factors such as a history of upper GI bleeding and perforation, non-caucasian origin, male sex, and concomitant dosage of corticosteroids.


Cardiovascular Safety:

The CV risk of NSAIDs is thought to be prostaglandin synthesis inhibition, leading to increased blood pressure, placing the patient at an elevated risk for a CV adverse event. Nevertheless, in patients without specific CV risk factors, Ibuprofen at a dose of 2400 mg/day may marginally increase the risk of coronary disease, although overall, a low dose of about 1200 mg/day appears to have the most favorable CV profile.


CONCLUSION:

Statistically proven studies find risks for adverse GI events, CV side effects, renal, and hepatotoxic effects to be very low with Ibuprofen in comparison with other OTC NSAIDs, owing to its pharmacologic and non-selective COX inhibition.

These have ranked ibuprofen as one of the safest pain relievers.


Reference:

Giustino Varrassi . Joseph V. Pergolizzi . Pascal Dowling . Antonella Paladini, 08 November 2019, Ibuprofen Safety at the Golden Anniversary: Are all NSAIDs the Same? A Narrative Review

By Vanaja Kholgade.

0 comments

Comments


bottom of page