Publication: Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Diacerein in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study
Files
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease. The prevalence
of OA is skyrocketing with time. Providing a proper treatment regimen for OA is also
growing as a major public health challenge. Conventional pharmacological treatments
are mainly for alleviating pain and have some severe adverse effects. Diacerein is a
new oral anti-inflammatory drug especially developed for the management of OA
having only mild to moderate adverse effects. However, the evidence of efficacy and
safety of Diacerein in OA is not well documented and yet to be explored.
Objective
To compare the efficacy and safety of Diacerein in knee OA with conventional non-
steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Method
A comparative study was conducted among knee OA patients attending Out-
Patient Orthopedic department in Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal from December 2019
to September 2020, using self-structured and standard questionnaire. The patients
were randomized to receive either a conventional standard treatment (Treatment
Group I: NSAIDs) or alternative treatment regimen (Treatment Group II: NSAIDS+
Diacerein). Patients were followed-up after two months and data were analyzed
using SPSS 21.0.
Result
Among 72 patients enrolled in this study, majority (44.44%) were between 51-60
years of age in which 81.94% of the patients were female. Post treatment data
was collected from 15 participants. The mean KOOS-PS score of the participants in
Treatment Group I decreased from 35.56 ± 14.33 to 35.14 ± 12.65 while that of the
Treatment Group II participants reduced from 63.31 ± 12.08 to 49.99 ± 13.10 in two
months. Similarly, the mean WOMAC score decreased from 46.87 ± 17.80 to 34.37
± 16.83 in Treatment Group I and from 54.23 ± 14.66 to 46.22 ± 12.16 in Treatment
Group II. The mean Lysholm score in Treatment Group I increased from 55.57 ± 8.16
to 60.86 ± 15.01 and in Treatment Group II, it increased from 46.62 ± 13.01 to 60.25
± 17.598.
Conclusion
Diacerein treatment group had better functional outcome compared to the patients
in the treatment group with conventionally used drugs. Also, the adverse effects
faced by the patients were minor. The current study are suggestive of better efficacy
and safety of Diacerein compared to other drugs.
KEY WORDS
Adverse effects, Diacerein, Efficacy, Osteoarthritis, Safety
Description
Shakya Shrestha S,1,2 Tamrakar S,1 Shrestha R,1,2 Shrestha R,3 Basi A,3 Malla M,3 Khadka SK3
Department of Pharmacology
2Pharmacovigilance unit/ Research and
Development Division
3Department of Orthopedics
Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital,
Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences
Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal
Keywords
Adverse effects, Diacerein, Efficacy, Osteoarthritis, Safety