Ethnic disparities in the risk of NSAID-associated complications were assessed in a retrospective cohort study of the primary care population in New Zealand who were dispensed NSAIDs between 2008 and 2015. The risk of hospital admission for upper GI bleeding, heart failure and acute kidney failure in the 90-day period following NSAID dispensing was assessed using national pharmaceutical dispensing and hospital admissions data. NSAIDs were dispensed to 3,023,067 patients between 2008 and 2015 with a total intended duration of treatment of 2,353,140 patient-years. Māori patients dispensed NSAIDs were significantly younger than European patients (p<0.001). Māori patients were more likely than European patients to be hospitalised for NSAID-associated complications with rate ratios of 2.54 for upper GI bleeding, 2.48 for heart failure and 1.46 for acute kidney failure. The higher risk of upper GI bleeding and heart failure in Māori patients was most evident in males and patients aged <60 years. The authors commented that interventions promoting safer use of NSAIDS are needed to reduce the inequity in serious complications across ethnic groups.
