Papers of the Week

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat symptoms of chronic inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; however, they are also associated with various adverse effects, including gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and renal harm. As patients get older, some medications may no longer be beneficial or may even cause harm. Deprescribing is defined as the planned and supervised process of dose reduction or discontinuation of medications. While there are studies showing that deprescribing strategies with several classes of medications positively affects outcomes in elderly patients, there is a lack of strong evidence and guidance to deprescribe NSAIDs.