Table 2

Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of upper gastrointestinal complications associated with combined use of anti-inflammatory drugs

Anti-inflammatory

drugs

Cases (n)

Controls (n)

RR^*

95% CI

None^†

852

6768

Reference

Steroids alone

41

132

2.1

1.4–3.0

Aspirin alone

177

609

2.4

1.9–2.9

NA-NSAIDs alone

193

489

3.6

2.9–4.3

Acetaminophen (< 2 g)

96

565

1.1

0.9–1.4

Acetaminophen (≥ 2 g)

52

124

2.4

1.7–3.5

Steroids and aspirin

6

17

3.1

1.2–8.1

Steroids and NA-NSAIDs

14

13

8.5

3.9–18.9

Steroids and acetaminophen (< 2 g)

5

31

1.1

0.4–2.9

Steroids and acetaminophen (≥ 2 g)

4

5

4.8

1.1–20.9

Aspirin and NA-NSAIDs

40

50

8.2

5.3–12.8

Aspirin and acetaminophen (< 2 g)

16

94

1.3

0.7–2.3

Aspirin and acetaminophen (≥ 2 g)

14

32

3.3

1.7–6.5

NA-NSAIDs and acetaminophen (< 2 g)

61

134

4.1

3.0–5.7

NA-NSAIDs and acetaminophen (≥ 2 g)

80

41

16.6

11.0–24.9

Three or four anti-inflammatory drugs^‡

27

13

18.0

9.0–36.1

Data are for United Kingdom General Practice Research Database, 1993–1998. NA-NSAIDs, Nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. ^*Adjusted for age, sex, calendar year, ulcer history, smoking, and concomitant medications. These analyses include only current users versus non-users (no use in the past 180 days); data on recent past (between 30 and 180 days) users are not presented. ^†Patients exposed to no drug (steroids, aspirin, NA-NSAIDs, and acetaminophen). Categories are mutually exclusive. ^‡Acetaminophen at doses < 2 g not included in this category.

García Rodríguez and Hernández-Díaz Arthritis Res 2001 3:98   doi:10.1186/ar146