Diacerein : A New Symptomatic Slow Acting Drug for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in world. It is one of the most frequent cause of pain, loss of function and disability in adults 2nd to Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) (1). In India prevelence of OA has been suggested to be 24.9% (2). In one of our previous study from Jammu region it was recorded 42.4% (3). Till recently osteoarthritis was classified as a mechanical wear and tear disorder of articular cartilage for which only pain modifying therapies such as analgesics were prescribed with little scientific attention focused on modification of course of disease leading to musculoskeletal disability and affecting quality of life. (4).