Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents
A drug may be classified by the chemical type of the active ingredient or by the way it is used to treat a particular condition. Each drug can be classified into one or more drug classes.
All nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) differ in structure but they all have similar antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
NSAIDs work by blocking the cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzyme, so inhibit production of prostaglandins and thromboxanes, which are produced as part of the inflammatory response.
There are two types of COX enzymes, COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is expressed in most tissues, including platelets. COX-2 is induced in inflammatory cells when they are activated and the primary inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha). COX-2 enzyme is responsible for production of mediators of inflammation. Most NSAIDs are inhibitors of both isoenzymes. The anti-inflammatory action of NSAIDs is mainly due to inhibition of COX-2, and their unwanted side effects are largely due to inhibition of COX-1.
There can be considerable variation in individual patient response and tolerance to different NSAIDs.
See also
Medical conditions associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents:
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aseptic Necrosis
- Back Pain
- Bartter Syndrome
- Bursitis
- Cluster Headaches
- Costochondritis
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis
- Dysautonomia
- Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
- Fever
- Fibromyalgia
- Frozen Shoulder
- Gitelman Syndrome
- Gout, Acute
- Headache
- Inflammatory Conditions
- Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis
- Migraine
- Muscle Pain
- NSAID-Induced Ulcer Prophylaxis
- Osteoarthritis
- Pain
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus
- Period Pain
- Postoperative Pain
- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Sciatica
- Spondylolisthesis
- Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
- Tendonitis
