title: Pharmacoepidemiology and rheumatic diseases: 2001-2002.
abstract: Pharmacoepidemiology is the branch of epidemiology that focuses on medications and their outcomes, including both adverse events and intended consequences. Such studies have become more prominent in rheumatology as the number of new medications has grown and prescribing databases have become more available. In the past year, the potential cardiovascular complications associated with selective COX-2 inhibitors have become an important concern. A number of pooled analyses suggest the possibility of an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction, and studies of naproxen have found a possible protective effect. Accumulating evidence supports the contention that early initiation of disease modifying antirheumatid drug therapy improves outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Open-label extensions of biologic therapies found continued benefits extending several years with the TNF-alpha antagonists, but concerns have arisen regarding tuberculosis and central nervous system demyelination with these agents. Data continue to be published quantifying the risk of osteoporosis associated with glucocorticoids, and the association between biphosphonate therapy and upper gastrointestinal events appears to be less of a concern that originally described.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. dhsolomon@partners.org
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Avorn
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents