NSAIDs and Cardiovascular Diseases: Role of Reactive Oxygen Species

Figure 1

Inhibition of cyclooxygenase pathway by NSAIDs. Coxibs as well as nonselective NSAIDs inhibit the formation of the metabolites of the cyclooxygenase pathway thereby disrupting the homeostasis maintained by these metabolites. Coxibs cause an imbalance between the levels of thromboxane and prostacyclin being more favorable towards thromboxane and decreasing prostacyclin levels leading to the aggregation of platelets and causing thrombosis.