Inclusion Criteria:

1. male or female, age 18-75;
2. subjects with osteoarthritis and documented stable ischemic heart disease;
3. the patient is on long-term aspirin prophylaxis for the ischemic condition;
4. the patient requires or is eligible for chronic treatment with an antiinflammatory and/or analgesic drugs given to control osteoarthritis symptoms;
5. female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test, use adequate contraception during the study and not be lactating;
6. written informed consent before undergoing any study procedure.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. active gastrointestinal disease (e.g. Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) or any evidence of concomitant disease which may lead to early termination of the study;
2. history of active peptic ulceration, gastrointestinal bleeding, esophageal, gastric or duodenal ulcer;
3. known hypersensitivity to COX-2 inhibitors, analgesics, antipyretics, sulfonamides or NSAIDs;
4. treatment with any investigational drug within the previous 30 days;
5. previous participation in this study;
6. evidence of neoplasm or any other severe disease of any organ, including any psychiatric illness;
7. clinically relevant deviations from the normal range in laboratory tests;
8. recent history or suspicion of alcohol abuse or drug addiction;
9. subjects unlikely to be collaborative or to give reliable answers;
10. pregnancy or lactation; female or childbearing potential without a clinical accepted contraceptive method;
11. any severe pathology that can interfere with the treatment or the clinical or instrumental tests of the trial;
12. intake of antiaggregant, anticoagulant, diuretic, beta-blocker, ACE- inhibitor, lithium, methotrexate, cimetidine, digoxin;
13. contraindications to NSAIDs.