Popular anti-inflammatories linked to worse osteoarthritis progression - New Atlas

New data presented at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting suggests long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as naproxen or ibuprofen, can be associated with hastened progression of osteoarthritis symptoms.

“In this large group of participants, we were able to show that there were no protective mechanisms from NSAIDs in reducing inflammation or slowing down progression of osteoarthritis of the knee joint,” said Luitjens.

NSAIDS are common pain-relieving agents for osteoarthritis patients, so there is no indication patients should stop taking these drugs for acute pain relief

However, according to Luitjens, the long-term use of NSAIDs as a way to reduce synovitis and slow the progression of osteoarthritis is in doubt after these findings