OBJECTIVE: The effect of short-term and long-term use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on structural change is equivocal. The aim of this study was to estimate the extent to which short- and long-term use of prescription NSAIDs relieve symptoms and delay structural progression among @entity1 with radiographically confirmed @entity571 ( @entity571 ) of the knee. METHODS: We applied a new-user design among @entity1 with confirmed @entity571 not reporting NSAID use at the time of enrollment in the @entity571 Initiative. @entity1 were evaluated for changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities @entity571 Index (WOMAC) subscales (n = 1,846) and joint space width was measured using serial radiographs and a customized software tool (n = 1,116) over 4 years. We used marginal structural modeling to estimate the effect of NSAIDs. RESULTS: Compared to @entity1 who never reported prescription NSAID use, those reporting use at 1 or 2 assessments had no clinically important changes, but those reporting prescription NSAID use at all 3 assessments had, on average, 0.88 point improvement over the followup period (95% confidence interval [95% CI] -0.46 to 2.22) in @entity158 , 0.72 point improvement (95% CI -0.12 to 1.56) in stiffness, and 4.27 points improvement (95% CI -0.31 to 8.84) in function. The average change in joint space width was 0.28 mm less among those reporting NSAID use at 3 assessments relative to nonusers (95% CI -0.06 to 0.62). Recent NSAID use findings were not clinically or statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Long-term, but not short-term, NSAID use was associated with an a priori-defined minimally important clinical change in stiffness, physical function, and joint space width, but not @entity158 . While showing modest clinical importance, the estimates did not reach statistical significance.

Effects of prescription nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs on symptoms and disease progression among XXXX with knee osteoarthritis.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'patients', 'Participants'] @entity571 :: ('MESH:D010003', 'Disease') :: ['osteoarthritis', 'OA', 'Osteoarthritis'] @entity158 :: ('MESH:D010146', 'Disease') :: ['pain']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['patients']
