Diacerein: a treatment option in painful primary knee osteoarthritis

ABSTRACT

To identify the efficacy and side effects of Diacerein in patients with mild to moderate knee mteoarthritis. Quasi experimental study. Outpatient Department of Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rawalpindi from June 2012 to June 2013. Ninety cases fulfilling American College of Rheumatology criteria for diagnosis of Knee Osteoarthritis and falling in Grades I-III of Kellgren-Lawrence Radiological Classification for Knee Osteoarthritis were included. Pre-treatment associated symptoms, complete blood count, renal and liver function tests were documented. After a baseline pain assessment on a 10-Point Visual Analogue Scale, 50 mg of Diacerein was given orally for 4 months followed by pain assessment and inquiry about adverse effects at 6[th] week, 3[rd] and 6[th] months. Post-treatment labs were repeated. Reduction in pain was analyzed by paired-sample t-test using SPSS version 17. Chi-Square test was used to assess the frequency of adverse effects. A p-value < 0.05 was considered sigruficant. Mean age was 61.5 +/- 7.8 years. Majority 77 [85.6%] were females. Mean Visual Analogue Scale at start was 6.1 +/- 0.87. Sigruficant pain reduction measured on Visual Analogue Scale was observed at six weeks [4.6 +/- 1.2] [p < 0.001], three months [2.37 +/- 0.91] [p < 0.001] and six months [2.2 +/- 0.85] [p < 0.001]. Very few patients developed diarrhea 3.3% and nausea 4.4%. Diacerein is effective drug with minimal side effects for treatment of mild to moderate painful Knee Osteoarthritis