Flurbiprofen in treating rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis

AIM: To observe the efficacy of the flurbiprofen in treating rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. METHODS: Eighty patients with rheumatoid arthritis were radomly divided into 2 groups. Fifty patients (M 9,F 41;age 47 a± s 12 a) of flurbiprofen group were treated with flurbiprofen 50 mg, po ,tid for 4 wk; 30 patients (M 5, F 25; age 46 a±10 a) of diclofenac group were treated with diclofenac 25 mg, po , tid for 4 wk. Forty patients with osteoarthritis were also divided into 2 groups. Twenty patients (M 6, F 14; age 56 a±12 a) of flurbiprofen group were treated with flurbiprofen 50 mg, po , tid for 4 wk; the other patients (M 7, F 13; age 56 a± s 12 a) of diclofenac group were treated with diclofenac 25 mg, po, tid for 4 wk. Thirty eight patients with ankylosing spondylitis (M 33, F 5; age 33 a±11 a) were treated with flurbiprofen 100 mg, po , tid for 4 wk. RESULTS: The effective rates of flurbiprofen and diclofenac for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis group were 86%, 87% and 85%, 80% ( P 0.05). For ankylosing spondylitis group the effective rate of flurbiprofen was 79%. The rates of adverse reaction of flurbiprofen and diclofenac groups were respectively 19% and 30%. The rates of adverse reaction of flurbiprofen was lower than dicolofenac ( P 0.05 ). CONCLUSION: Flurbiprofen is efficacious and safe in treating rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.