Evidence of side effects—pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) from randomised controlled trials (RCTs)
| Intervention* | RR (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| *:Compared with placebo/non-exposure unless otherwise stated. Results were pooled from RCTs, or obtained from the latest systematic review which contains the most RCTs. | |
| H2 blockers, histamine type 2 receptor antagonists; PPIs, proton pump inhibitors; MTX, methotrexate; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; GI, gastrointestinal; CV, cardiovascular; ANA, antinuclear antibodies; AEs, adverse effects. | |
| NSAIDs | 5.36 (1.79 to 16.10) GI (serious) |
| 0.86 (0.75 to 0.99) CV | |
| Coxibs v NSAIDs | 0.18 (0.14 to 0.23) GI (serious) |
| 0.79 (0.40 to 1.55) CV | |
| Misoprostol | 0.26 (0.17 to 0.39) GI (serious) |
| 1.81 (1.52 to 2.61) diarrhoea | |
| H2 blockers (double doses) | 0.44 (0.03 to 0.74) GI (serious) |
| PPIs | 0.40 (0.32 to 0.51) GI (serious) |
| Sulfasalazine | 2.37 (1.58 to 3.55) any |
| 1.79 (1.36 to 2.34) GI (any) | |
| 1.82 (1.13 to 2.93) mucocutaneous | |
| 4.01 (2.12 to 7.59) haematological | |
| 1.90 (0.75 to 4.82) hepatic | |
| Methotrexate | 2.12 (1.50 to 2.98) nausea |
| 4.12 (2.22 to 7.63) hepatic | |
| 2.62 (0.71 to 9.68) haematological | |
| 1.31 (0.57 to 3.01) mucocutaneous | |
| 1.54 (0.64 to 3.70) alopecia | |
| 2.03 (0.55 to 7.50) rash | |
| Folate+MTX v MTX | 0.56 (0.38 to 0.80) |
| Paracetamol | 0.80 (0.27 to 2.37) GI |
| TNF inhibitors | 1.07 (0.92 to 1.24) any infection |
| 3.12 (2.50 to 3.90) injection site | |
| 2.38 (1.61 to 3.53) ANA | |
| 0.81 (0.62 to 1.06) serious AEs | |