Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4688

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Dieppe PA, Frankel SJ, Toth B.
Is research into the treatment of osteoarthritis with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs misdirected?
Lancet 1993 Feb 6; 341:(8841):353-4

Abstract:

There is a curious, though common, mismatch between the direction of research into a disorder and the importance of that condition to the general population. The authors scrutinized the research evidence relating to the management of osteoarthritis and found substantial evidence to support this proposition. Despite evidence that acetaminophen (paracetamol) is as effective as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAID)in this condition nearly all trials compare one NSAID to another. The authors conclude that this imbalance must be due to the vested interests of the pharmaceutical industry.

Keywords:
*nonsystematic review/arthritis/clinical trials/NSAID/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs/drug company sponsored research/corporate funding/ reporting of results/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: OUTCOME OF CLINICAL TRIALS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PUBLICATION/PROMOTION DISGUISED: CLINICAL TRIALS