Arthritis is a chronic and debilitating disease identified by symptoms such as joint pain, stiffness, swelling and decreased range of motion. The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is estimated that over 4.6 million Canadians suffer from arthritis, and it is a leading cause of disability.
A recent study titled “Prospective Randomized Evaluation of Celecoxib Integrated Safety vs. Ibuprofen Or Naproxen” (PRECISION) has been conducted to compare the safety of certain drugs for treatment of chronic arthritis, and their connection to cardiovascular disease. Several JoinAStudy.ca affiliated doctors were involved in evaluating over 20,000 total study participants during a study designed in 2005.
The study concludes that patients with chronic arthritis and cardiovascular risk factors can treat their symptoms effectively and experience fewer cardiovascular and gastrointestinal events by taking celecoxib (Celebrex) instead of equivalent doses of ibuprofen or naproxen.
To read the full press release from Pfizer, click here.
To learn more about osteoarthritis, click here.