| Abstract: | The prohypertensive effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be manifested by the decreased efficiency of antihypertensive therapy. The tactics of their differential use in relation to the its effect on blood pressure (BP) in patients with osteoarthrosis (OA) and arterial hypertension (AH) has not been developed for the most effective and safe therapy. In this connection, it is extremely urgent to study the comparative safety of used NSAIDs as to their prohypertensive effect and to work out the management of patients with AH and OA. Ninety-eight patients with second-third degree OA of the knee and hip joints concurrent with the pain syndrome and first-second grade AH were followed up. Diclofenac, ketoprofen, arthrotec, nimesulide, and meloxicam were used. In a control group, the analgesic tramadol was supplemented to the therapy. AH was controlled by enalapril monotherapy. In groups of patients receiving diclofenac, arthrotec, meloxicam, and ketoprofen, there was a trend for the number of cases of an adequate nocturnal BP lowering (Dipper) to reduce and for those of an inadequate nocturnal BP decrease (Non-dipper), which may be accounted for by the prohypertensive effect of these drugs; this trend was most pronounced in the diclofenac and arthrotec groups. Despite its marked prohypertensive effect, nimesulide did not impair circadian BP variations. The central-acting analgesic tramadol exerted no prohypertensive effect and it did not increase BP values. The prohypertensive effect of the tested NSAIDs and tramadol increases in the following order: tramadol, ketoprofen, meloxicam, nimesulide, arthrotec, diclofenac. |
