By James Hamilton

THOUSANDS of arthritis sufferers in Scotland have been asked to take part in drugs trials that could improve the lives of millions with the disease.

The three-year trial, which will involve 400 GP practices and 16,000 patients, has been given £24 million by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to work out which painkillers offer the best relief with the fewest side-effects.

Currently, chronic sufferers are forced to take a toxic cocktail of drugs which have a range of health implications, including increasing the risk of heart disease in older people by 70%.

Professor Tom MacDonald, who specialises in clinical pharmacology at Dundee University, is leading the trial.

He said: "One of the big problems with the old drugs, including aspirin, is that they burn holes in the stomach. Then, during operations to bleed the ulcers that have been caused by this, around 10% of elderly people die."

MacDonald suffered the side-effects of painkillers himself for years as he waited for an operation to smooth the surface of his arthritic hip.

"I was lucky I only had one arthritic joint," he added. "When it affects several joints, it's a truly horrible disease for which there is no cure. The sole practical solution is to give people relief from their symptoms."

Only arthritis sufferers aged 60 or over have been invited to join the test, which will compare traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, with a newer brand of NSAID called Celecoxib.

Both types of NSAID are prescribed for arthritis, but doctors want to know if Celecoxib has fewer long-term health implications than the older brands.

Arthritis sufferers have cautiously welcomed the news, in the knowledge that a cure is not yet in sight.

Angela Donaldson, the director of Arthritis Care in Scotland, warned against false optimism, pointing out that the test would only yield a more effective way to relieve pain.

She said: "Weighing up whether or not you should undertake treatment for a painful condition like arthritis, against the increased risk of a heart attack or a stroke, is a daily reality for people living with arthritis. If the outcome of this trial can help alleviate some of those concerns it is very welcome."

The tests will rely on Scotland's world-leading health statistics system, which detected a 17% drop in admission for heart problems after the smoking ban came into force.