Researchers determine the best strategy for preventing ulcers when taking NSAIDs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—including ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen and others—are commonly used pain medications that are generally safe but may increase the risk of developing stomach and intestinal ulcers.

After researchers analyzed a large number of clinical trials that compared different ways of reducing these risks of NSAIDs, they found that the best strategy with the lowest overall risk was to combine a certain type of NSAID, known as a COX-2-selective NSAID, with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). PPIs are most often used to treat heartburn and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

"The combination of a COX-2-selective NSAID with a PPI will be expensive and is not recommended for all patients who need to be on a NSAID; however, it is the safest and most effective treatment strategy for those at high risk of ulcer bleeding from NSAID treatment," said Prof. Jin Ling Tang, co-author of the Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics study.