COX 2 inhibitors may not be safer for the stomach

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7528.0-b

BMJ 2005;331 (3 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7528.0-b

COX 2 inhibitors may not be safer for the stomach

Cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors seem no better than conventionalnon-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in termsof the risk of an adverse upper gastrointestinal event. In anested case-control study of more than 9000 cases of first pepticulcer or haematemesis and almost 90 000 controls from 367 generalpractices throughout Great Britain, Hippisley-Cox and colleagues(p 1310) found that the risk of adverse events was increasedwith all NSAIDs included, selective and non-selective. Use ofulcer healing drugs reduced the increased risk of adverse eventsfor all NSAIDs except diclofenac.