Introduction: We aimed to analyze the relationships between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment variables and the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Japanese patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) using the data from a large-scale, real-world database.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed anonymized claims data from the Japanese Medical Data Center of medical insurance beneficiaries who were prescribed NSAIDs for OA and/or CLBP from 2009 to 2018.
Results: Of 180,371 patients, 89.3% received NSAIDs as first-line analgesics (oral, 90.3%; patch, 80.4%; other transdermal drugs, 24.0%). Incidence of AMI was 10.27 per 10,000 person-years (95% confidence interval 9.20-11.34) in the entire study population. There was a trend towards increased risk in patients using NSAIDs for more than 5 years (P = 0.0784) than in those using NSAIDs for less than 1 year. Risk of AMI significantly increased with age and comorbidities of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The risk for AMI was similar for patients who consistently used NSAIDs compared to those using them intermittently and patients who used patch compared to oral NSAIDs. Elderly patients used NSAIDs more consistently and used NSAID patches more frequently.
Conclusion: In Japanese patients with OA and CLBP, we saw a trend of increased risk for AMI in patients using NSAIDs for more than 5 years. Elderly patients had a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and other CVD which increased the risk of AMI. Although NSAID patches were preferred to oral NSAIDs in elderly patients, risk for AMI was similar between the two modalities. Therefore, we suggest using NSAIDs carefully, especially in elderly patients and those at risk of developing CVD.
Keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; Cardiovascular events; Chronic low back pain; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Osteoarthritis.