Safety profile of etodolac in the elderly population

A growing proportion of patients who require nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy are elderly. Data from patients 65 years and older with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis show that etodolac is as well tolerated in elderly as in younger patients. Of 273 elderly patients treated with at least 600 mg daily, only 12% withdrew because of adverse events, a rate similar to that in the younger age-group. Notably, the incidence of etodolac-associated gastrointestinal events is no higher in elderly than in younger patients. Etodolac was no different from diclofenac and piroxicam regarding incidence and type of adverse events. In both short- and long-term studies, the 400-mg and 600-mg sustained-release etodolac formulations were well tolerated in elderly and younger patients. Thus, etodolac appears to be a first-line choice in elderly patients.