Etodolac versus naproxen in rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind crossover study

Etodolac and naproxen were compared using a randomized double-blind, crossover method in 39 hospital out-patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients received 200 mg etodolac twice daily or 500 mg naproxen twice daily each for a 6-week period with 2-week wash-out periods at baseline and crossover. Objective and subjective clinical assessments were made before and after treatment. These included number of swollen and painful joints, pain intensity, grip strength, morning stiffness, functional class, articular index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and global evaluations by the patient and investigator. The results of the assessments indicated that, overall, both drugs were equally effective. After 6-weeks' therapy, patients receiving etodolac showed a statistically significant improvement in their global self-evaluation and erythrocyte sedimentation rate compared to naproxen. Articular index, investigator's global evaluation, pain intensity and grip strength all showed an improvement over baseline greater than with naproxen although the improvement did not attain significance. Patient complaints and laboratory parameters were analyzed for treatment differences to evaluate tolerance. Patient complaints were similar in nature and incidence with both groups, gastro-intestinal side-effects being the most commonly reported. There were no clinically significant changes in laboratory variables during treatment with either drug.