Opioids carry increased risk for death vs NSAIDs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, NSAIDs and opioids demonstrate similar risks for major adverse cardiovascular events, while opioids exhibit higher rates of all-cause mortality and venous thromboembolism, according to data.
“Among the analgesics, one of the main reasons for opioid preference over non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is the association of NSAIDs with cardiovascular disease (CVD), gastrointestinal and renal adverse effects,” Gulsen Ozen, MD, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha, Nebraska, and colleagues wrote in Annals of the

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, NSAIDs and opioids demonstrate similar risks for major adverse cardiovascular events, while opioids exhibit higher rates of all-cause mortality and venous thromboembolism, according to data.
“Among the analgesics, one of the main reasons for opioid preference over non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is the association of NSAIDs with cardiovascular disease (CVD), gastrointestinal and renal adverse effects,” Gulsen Ozen, MD, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha, Nebraska, and colleagues wrote in Annals of the