The effect of different indomethacin formulations in young and elderly patients: a comparative controlled clinical trial.

In a double-blind, crossover trial a controlled-release multiple-units indomethacin formulation (50 mg twice daily) was compared with conventional capsules (25 mg twice daily with 50 mg in the evening) in 12 young and 18 elderly in-patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Earlier findings that younger patients preferred a slow-release formulation and the elderly a standard formulation could not be confirmed. As a whole, the duration of morning stiffness was reduced more (p = 0.02) with the controlled-release formulation than with the conventional formulation. During the treatment period (7 days), 4 patients reported side-effects from the conventional capsules, 3 from the controlled-release formulation, and 6 from both treatments; 53% of the patients preferred the controlled-release formulation, while 20% preferred the conventional capsule (p = 0.046).