Salsalate for arthritis: a clinical evaluation

In an open-label trial, 182 patients with common forms of arthritis were treated with 3 gm of salsalate daily (two 750-mg tablets twice daily) for 15 days. Before entering the study, these patients had received a wide variety of antiarthritic medications. Five indices of disease severity (pain, stiffness, joint swelling, limitation of motion, and disability) were evaluated before and after salsalate therapy, the incidence of side effects was tabulated before and after treatment, and patient compliance with the salsalate regimen was assessed. A reduction in disease symptoms was noted in 79% of the treated patients. Median improvement, measured on a summary index, was 47%. The incidence of side effects experienced with previous therapy was reduced by 65% during salsalate administration. Patient compliance with the regimen was greater than 95%. The findings show salsalate to be effective and safe in ameliorating the symptoms of arthritic disease. The convenient twice-daily dosage regimen makes this drug particularly suitable for chronic use.