Study: Acetaminophen Ineffective for Osteoarthritis

Acetaminophen, when taken alone at any dose, is not effective at relieving pain in patients with osteoarthritis, according to a recent study.

Acetaminophen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the predominant treatment of choice for osteoarthritis pain management. To assess the effectiveness of various NSAIDs and doses, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 74 randomized trials involving 58,556 participants that compared the effectiveness of NSAIDs, acetaminophen, or placebo for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
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Primary and secondary outcomes were pain relief and physical function, respectively.

Overall, all medications appeared to have beneficial effects when compared to placebo, however, regardless of dose, acetaminophen failed to meet the minimum standards for clinical effectiveness.

“On the basis of the available data, we see no role for single-agent [acetaminophen] for the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis irrespective of dose,” they concluded.

“We provide sound evidence that diclofenac 150 mg/day is the most effective NSAID available at present, in terms of improving both pain and function. Nevertheless, in view of the safety profile of these drugs, physicians need to consider our results together with all known safety information when selecting the preparation and dose for individual patients.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Costa BR, Reichenback S, Keller N, et al. Effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of pain in knee and hip osteoarthritis: a network meta-analysis. Lancet. March 17, 2016 [epub ahead of print]. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30002-2.