RISKS GENERATED BY THE SELECTIVE INHIBITION OF CYCLOOXYGENASE-2

Resumen

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are one of the most widely used drug classes in the world. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the clinical use of NSAIDs, assessing the cardiovascular risk of cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitors. It is a qualitative research, the bibliographical survey was made using the books of Physiology and Pharmacology, databases Scielo, Virtual Library of the Ministry of Health and Medline. COX has two isoforms: COX1 and COX-2. The former is related to the body's homeostasis, since COX-2 plays an important role in inflammation and pain perception. There is a great discussion between selective or non-COX inhibition. The selective inhibition of COX-2 arose with the intention of ceasing with the gastrointestinal effects, but ended up being associated with serious cardiovascular events. In the face of the signs and uncertainties, it is recommended that the prescription of these drugs be directed to high-risk gastrointestinal patients. In the absence of patients with this clinical condition the pharmacotherapy should be instituted with care, at the same time, the Pharmaceutical Care should be performed by the Pharmacist. The toxic effects of Coxibes have not yet been fully elucidated, therefore further studies are needed to establish the safety of this class.