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Study Shows Arthritis Medication Causes Fewer Gastrointestinal Problems than Traditional Drugs by Ziniah Beasley, TSCL Health Online Reporter According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a newer medication used to treat arthritis seemed to have fewer side effects than the traditional therapies. Arthritis is a chronic, often crippling disease that afflicts an estimated 43 million Americans. It is commonly treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen. However, these drugs have side effects that include multitude of gastrointestinal problems, such as upset stomach to life-threatening bleeding ulcers. In the study, patients who took the newer medication, Celebrex (celecoxib capsules) had significantly fewer serious gastrointestinal problems - bleeding ulcers, perforated ulcers and obstructions, or blockages - than those who took ibuprofen or diclofenac (anti-inflammatory drug). With Celebrex, there was a lower incidence of stomach upset, abdominal pain and nausea. In addition to the lower incidence of serious gastrointestinal complications in participants taking Celebrex, the long-term study done on 8,000 patients reported findings on less gastrointestinal blood loss and less kidney and liver problems. Significant blood loss was reduced by more than twofold with Celebrex in comparison to the other two drugs. Compared with traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Celebrex has been shown to effectively manage the pain and inflammation of arthritis while reducing serious side effects that can lead to hospitalization. From the study, the most common side effects of Celebrex were indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal pain and skin rash, which were generally mild to moderate. Dr. Jay Goldstein, professor of medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a study author and chair of Gastrointestinal Events Committee, states that the research findings on Celebrex is "good news for arthritis patients seeking a safe and effective option for treating this chronic condition, which requires them to take medicine indefinitely." Furthermore, he continues to add, "the news is especially significant because many arthritis patients are unable to use and often have to discontinue traditional therapies because of gastrointestinal or other side effects." Source/Resource: University of Illinois at Chicago Press Release, September 12, 2000
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