Gastroenterology
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Ulcer formation with low-dose enteric-coated aspirin and the effect of COX-2 selective inhibition: a double-blind trial.
We assessed the risk of ulcers with low-dose aspirin and the interaction of low-dose aspirin with a COX-2 selective inhibitor in a double-blind trial that compared placebo, low-dose aspirin, rofecoxib + low-dose aspirin, and ibuprofen. ⋯ Low-dose aspirin alone did not significantly increase ulcer incidence. Addition of a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitor to low-dose aspirin increased ulcer incidence, to a rate not significantly less than a nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) alone. Determining the relative impact of COX-2 selective inhibitors and nonselective NSAIDs on gastrointestinal mucosal injury in low-dose aspirin users will require further study.