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Chandan JS, Zemedikun DT, Thayakaran R, Byne N, Dhalla S, Acosta-Mena D, Gokhale KM, Thomas T, Sainsbury C, Subramanian A, Cooper J, Anand A, Okoth KO, Wang J, Adderley NJ, Taverner T, Denniston AK, Lord J, Thomas GN, Buckley CD, Raza K, Bhala N, Nirantharakumar K, Haroon S. Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs and Susceptibility to COVID-19. Arthritis Rheumatol 2021; 73:731-739. [PMID: 33185016 PMCID: PMC8252419 DOI: 10.1002/art.41593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Objective To identify whether active use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases susceptibility to developing suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) compared to the use of other common analgesics. Methods We performed a propensity score–matched cohort study with active comparators, using a large UK primary care data set. The cohort consisted of adult patients age ≥18 years with osteoarthritis (OA) who were followed up from January 30 to July 31, 2020. Patients prescribed an NSAID (excluding topical preparations) were compared to those prescribed either co‐codamol (paracetamol and codeine) or co‐dydramol (paracetamol and dihydrocodeine). A total of 13,202 patients prescribed NSAIDs were identified, compared to 12,457 patients prescribed the comparator drugs. The primary outcome measure was the documentation of suspected or confirmed COVID‐19, and the secondary outcome measure was all‐cause mortality. Results During follow‐up, the incidence rates of suspected/confirmed COVID‐19 were 15.4 and 19.9 per 1,000 person‐years in the NSAID‐exposed group and comparator group, respectively. Adjusted hazard ratios for suspected or confirmed COVID‐19 among the unmatched and propensity score–matched OA cohorts, using data from clinical consultations in primary care settings, were 0.82 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.62–1.10) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.57–1.11), respectively, and adjusted hazard ratios for the risk of all‐cause mortality were 0.97 (95% CI 0.75–1.27) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.61–1.20), respectively. There was no effect modification by age or sex. Conclusion No increase in the risk of suspected or confirmed COVID‐19 or mortality was observed among patients with OA in a primary care setting who were prescribed NSAIDs as compared to those who received comparator drugs. These results are reassuring and suggest that in the absence of acute illness, NSAIDs can be safely prescribed during the ongoing pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joht Singh Chandan
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, and Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | | | - Rasiah Thayakaran
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | | | | | - Krishna M Gokhale
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Tom Thomas
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Jennifer Cooper
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Astha Anand
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Kelvin O Okoth
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jingya Wang
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Nicola J Adderley
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Thomas Taverner
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alastair K Denniston
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Janet Lord
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - G Neil Thomas
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Christopher D Buckley
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, and Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Karim Raza
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospitals Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Neeraj Bhala
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Health Data Research UK Midlands, Birmingham, UK
| | - Shamil Haroon
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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