The use of NSAIDs as a first line treatment for axial spondyloarthritis is supported in a recent Cochrane review.
The review of 39 studies including 4356 people found high quality evidence that both traditional and COX-2 NSAIDs were more efficacious than placebo in people with axSpA.
The review by the musculoskeletal group found moderate quality evidence that harms in the short term were not different to placebo. However the group could not find compareative long-term studies evaluating harms.
“Therefore consideration could be given to findings regarding long-term harms of NSAIDs in other rheumatic diseases,” the group wrote.
The potential benefits of continuous NSAID use should be considered in comparison to the potential risks in individual patients, the authors advised.