Prevalence and the patterns of use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and paracetamol among the general population

Abstract

Different studies published in the last 15 years reported an increased incidence of adverse drug events, particularly on cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular systems, during the consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs. The purposes of this study were: to identify the prevalence of the NSAIDs and paracetamol use, to analyse the use patterns of these drugs and to assess the risk to develop adverse CV effects in relation to different factors in order to improve the patients’ safety. The data contained by the self-administered questionnaires, fully completed by 735 patients, were analysed. The relationships between the use of NSAIDs and paracetamol by the CV/non-CV patients and different variables were comparatively analysed using the Windows 17.0 version of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The main medical reasons motivating the NSAIDs use were: joint pain (41.22%), low back pain (35.10%) and headache (8.98%). Compared to non-CV patients, those with a CV disease (60.41% of the respondents using NSAIDs) have used more frequently: diclofenac (OR: 2.674; 95% CI: 1.822 - 3.924), ketoprofen (OR: 1.711; 95% CI: 0.970 - 3.018) and indomethacin (OR: 3.814; 95% CI: 1.577 - 9.222). 64.86% of the CV patients acquired NSAIDS by self-medication. High prevalence of NSAIDs current use was observed in the case of the CV patients, presenting an increased risk to develop significant sideevents in a chronic, irrational or abusive, consumption of these molecules.