Ask the Doctors: February 2017

Chronic use of NSAIDs is common in arthritis patients. In 2015, the FDA strengthened a warning about the potential heart hazards of over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs. Selective COX-2 inhibitors, such as celecoxib (Celebrex), were developed in the hope of reducing gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity and still maintaining an anti-inflammatory effect. You refer to a recent study called PRECISION, designed after the withdrawal of the COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx due to an unfavorable CVD profile.