Pain medications linked to higher cardiovascular risks in patients with osteoarthritis

The study matched 7,743 OA patients with 23,229 non-OA controls. The risk of developing cardiovascular disease among people with OA was 23% higher compared with people without OA. Among secondary outcomes assessed in the study, the risk of congestive heart failure was 42% higher among people with OA compared with people without OA, followed by a 17 per cent greater risk of ischemic heart disease and a 14 per cent greater risk of stroke.

Investigators found that approximately 41 per cent of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people with OA was mediated through their NSAID use. NSAIDs also played a substantial role in developing the study's secondary outcomes.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study to evaluate the mediating role of NSAID use in the relationship between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease in a large population based sample," says senior study author Aslam Anis, PhD, FCAHS, of the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. 

"Our results indicate that osteoarthritis is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and suggest a substantial proportion of the increased risk is due to the use of NSAIDs. This is highly relevant because NSAIDs are some of the most commonly used drugs to manage pain in patients with osteoarthritis. It's important for people with OA to talk to their care providers and discuss the risks and benefits of NSAIDs," adds Anis.