Abstract
A survey of 763 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 145 with osteoarthritis in six clinics in New Zealand showed no association between aspirin intake and a score designed to detect analgesic nephropathy. Analgesic nephropathy was diagnosed clinically in three patients taking APC (aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine or codeine or both) and in one who took aspirin and phenylbutazone and was suspected in one who took aspirin and paracetamol. Isolated aspirin was not implicated. The study showed that most people can take large quantities of salicylates without renal injury.
The findings are, however, consistent with the view that there is a risk from APC compounds taken in large quantity, but the numbers at risk in this study were small. Aspirin may have an additive effect with other analgesics in causing renal damage. An increased frequency of urinary tract symptoms in those taking analgesics requires further investigation.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Burry A. F. The evolution of analgesic nephropathy. Nephron. 1968;5(3):185–201. doi: 10.1159/000179629. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Burry H. C. Reduced glomerular function in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1972 Jan;31(1):65–68. doi: 10.1136/ard.31.1.65. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- CLAUSEN E., PEDERSEN J. Necrosis of the renal papillae in rheumatoid arthritis. Acta Med Scand. 1961 Nov;170:631–633. doi: 10.1111/j.0954-6820.1961.tb00281.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dubach U. C., Levy P. S., Müller A. Relationships between regular analgesic intake and urorenal disorders in a working female population of Switzerland. I. Initial results (1968). Am J Epidemiol. 1971 Jun;93(6):425–434. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a121276. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Koutsaimanis K. G., de Wardener H. E. Phenacetin nephropathy, with particular reference to the effect of surgery. Br Med J. 1970 Oct 17;4(5728):131–134. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5728.131. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lawson A. A., Maclean N. Renal disease and drug therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1966 Sep;25(5):441–449. doi: 10.1136/ard.25.5.441. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lawson D. H. Analgesic consumption and impaired renal function. J Chronic Dis. 1973 Jan;26(1):39–45. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(73)90078-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Morales A., Steyn J. Papillary necrosis following phenylbutazone ingestion. Arch Surg. 1971 Sep;103(3):420–421. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1971.01350090102024. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nanra R. S., Kincaid-Smith P. Papillary necrosis in rats caused by aspirin and aspirin-containing mixtures. Br Med J. 1970 Sep 5;3(5722):559–561. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5722.559. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sorensen A. W. Is the relation between analgesics and renal disease coincidental and not causal? Nephron. 1966;3(6):366–376. doi: 10.1159/000179553. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Waters W. E., Elwood P. C., Asscher A. W. Community survey of analgesic consumption and kidney function in women. Lancet. 1973 Feb 17;1(7799):341–344. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)90130-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]