Acetylsalicylic acid rheumatoid

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is by far the most common type of analgesic, an important class of compounds that relieve pain, and it also lowers abnormally high body temperatures. Aspirin also finds use in reducing inflammation caused by rheumatic fever and rheumatoid arthritis. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that involves inflammation in joints and causes severe pain and immobility. The worldwide scenario indicates that the elderly population suffers the most from this disease. The drugs of choice for treatment of this condition are nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include acetylsalicylic acid, diclofenac sodium, piroxicam, nimesulide, celecoxib, and refecoxib. Therapeutic doses, adverse effects, and precautions are given in the foifowing pages. 

Working in Bayer s pharmaceutical laboratory in Elberfeld, Germany, Hoffman acetylated salicylic acid in August 1897. The resultant acetylsalicylic acid powder had few of the drawbacks of sodium salicylate, and besides relieving father Hoffman s rheumatoid aches and pains, it had some additional benefits as well. Bayer scientists found aspirin helped to relieve headaches and toothaches, reduced fever, and decreased inflammation. 

When nicotinic acid esters are applied to the skin of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, an anomalous vasoconstriction frequently occurs instead of the usual erythema and was at first thought to offer diagnostic possibilities . It is now apparent, however, that the effect is attributable to the therapeutic use, by such patients, of acetylsalicylic acid, which is remarkably potent in retarding the development of the reaction -. ... 

Despite the fact that acetylsalicylic acid has been used for many years, it is only recently that controlled trials have demonstrated its efficacy in the symptomatic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis - . The results of a 3 year multi-centre trial comparing cortisone acetate and acetylsalicylic acid, given in the lowest dosage needed to keep each patient symptom-free, indicate that the efficacy of both drugs is similar in almost all respects . The condition of the patients after 3 years was better than at the start of the trial, but radiological deterioration occurred in both groups. 

In clinical studies, Cass and Frederik i showed that mefenamic acid is 2-3 times more active than acetylsalicylic acid in relieving chronic pain. Over a 10 week period, flufenamic acid in a dosage of 300 mg daily is more effective than 1,800 mg a day of acetylsalicylic acid in rheumatoid arthri-tis i . 

Rowland, M., and Riegelman, S. Plasma and Synovial Fluid Concentrations of Acetylsalicylic Acid in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis... 

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