Difference Between Salicylates and NSAIDs

The key difference between salicylates and NSAIDs is that salicylates are a sub-class of NSAIDs, whereas NSAIDs are a class of drugs we use to reduce pain and other disorders. 

NSAID is the short and common term for the class of drugs called Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. These drugs are useful as pain killers; they can also decrease fever, prevent blood clots and decrease inflammation. There are different sub-classes of NSAIDs, including salicylates, propionic acid derivatives, acetic acid derivatives, enolic acid derivatives, etc.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Salicylates
3. What are NSAIDs
4. Side by Side Comparison – Salicylates vs NSAIDs in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What are Salicylates?

Salicylates are a sub-class of NSAIDs, and it includes the drugs derived from salicylic acid. There are both natural and synthetic forms of salicylates. Natural forms are present in some food such as vegetables, fruits, coffee, tea, nuts, spices and honey. The synthetic form is present in drugs such as aspirin, pepto-bismol, etc.

Both these natural and synthetic forms can cause adverse side effects in humans. The natural forms are present in plants since plants need protection from harmful agents such as insects, fungus and other diseases. However, compared to natural sources, synthetic sources contain a very high amount of salicylates; for example, the food we consume per day may contain 10-200 mg salicylates, but a single dose of aspirin contains 325-600 mg.

Salicylate intolerance or salicylate sensitivity is an adverse effect caused by salicylates in either natural or synthetic form. These adverse effects occur when salicylates are ingested. Consumption of a very high amount of salicylates can cause adverse effects on anyone. Those with salicylate sensitivity cannot consume even a small amount of salicylates. Some common symptoms include stuffy nose, sinus infection, asthma, diarrhoea, gas, tissue swelling, etc.

What are NSAIDs?

The term NSAID stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. These are very important as pain relievers. These drugs are useful in treating pain and inflammation in arthritis. Furthermore, these drugs can decrease fever, prevent blood clots and decrease inflammation as well. However, the consumption of these drugs can cause gastrointestinal ulcers, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, kidney diseases and heart attack.

The term “nonsteroidal” implies that these are not steroids and not derived from steroids. Steroidal drugs also show similar effects to these drugs, including anti-inflammatory actions. But, NSAIDs work by inhibiting the activity of cyclooxygenase enzyme. The enzyme is the agent which causes the production of prostaglandins in cells that cause inflammation.  There are different classes of NSAIDs. The two major classes, according to the mechanism of action are non-selective NSAIDs and COX-2 selective NSAIDs. However, according to the composition, there are different classes such as salicylates, propionic acid derivatives, acetic acid derivatives, enolic acid derivatives, etc.

What is the Difference Between Salicylates and NSAIDs?

The term NSAID stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. The key difference between salicylates and NSAIDs is that salicylates are a sub-class of NSAIDs, whereas NSAIDs are a class of drugs we use to reduce pain and other disorders. Salicylates are a sub-class of NSAIDs and include drugs derived from salicylic acid. The term NSAID stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

Moreover, the salicylates are useful as drugs, food preservatives, as components in toothpaste, etc. NSAIDs are important as pain relievers, as drugs to decrease fever, prevent blood clots and can decrease inflammation as well. Furthermore, the consumption of these drugs can result in adverse effects; the major adverse effect caused by salicylates is salicylate sensitivity while the adverse effects of NSAIDs are gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding, heart attack, kidney diseases, etc.

Below infographic summarizes the difference between salicylates and NSAIDs.

Summary – Salicylates vs NSAIDs

The term NSAID stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. The key difference between salicylates and NSAIDs is that salicylates are a sub-class of NSAIDs, whereas NSAIDs are a class of drugs that we use to reduce pain and other disorders.

Reference:

1. “Salicylate Sensitivity: Causes, Symptoms and Foods to Avoid.” Healthline, Available here.
2. “NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) for Arthritis Pain.” WebMD, WebMD, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Salicylic-acid-skeletal” By Image:Aspirin-skeletal.svg originally by Benjah-bmm27 and Booyabazooka, edited by Fvasconcellos – Image:Aspirin-skeletal.svg (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “NSAID label” Source (WP:NFCC#4) (Fair use) via Commons Wikimedia