The common over-the-counter drug paracetamol may increase the risk of gastrointestinal, heart and kidney-related complications in adults over 65, a new study has found.
Paracetamol is commonly used to treat mild to moderate fevers and is considered effective, as is osteoarthritis (a chronic disease that causes joint pain, stiffness and swelling due to wear and tear). It is also the first drug recommended for the treatment of. Relatively safe and easy to access.
However, some studies have shown evidence that disputes paracetamol’s analgesic effects, while others have shown an increased risk of gastrointestinal side effects such as ulcers and bleeding with long-term use.
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Nottingham in the UK found that paracetamol use was associated with a 24 per cent and 36 per cent increased risk of peptic ulcer bleeding (bleeding from an ulcer in the gastrointestinal tract) and lower gastrointestinal disease. It turned out that it was. Bleeding each.
Taking this drug can increase your risk of chronic kidney disease by 19 percent, heart failure by 9 percent, and high blood pressure by 7 percent.
“This study shows a significant incidence of renal, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal side effects in older people in the UK who are repeatedly prescribed acetaminophen (paracetamol),” the authors wrote in the journal Arthritis This is stated in a study published in “Care and Research”.
“Due to its perceived safety, paracetamol has long been recommended as a first-line drug treatment for osteoarthritis in many treatment guidelines, particularly in older adults who are at increased risk of drug-related complications.” said Weiya Zhang, lead researcher at the American University. Nottingham Medical School.
“Given the minimal analgesic effect, further studies are currently needed to confirm our findings, but they may be useful as first-line analgesics for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in the elderly. “The use of paracetamol needs to be carefully considered,” said Professor Zhang. .
For their analysis, researchers looked at the health records of 1,80,483 people (180,000 people) who were repeatedly prescribed paracetamol (prescribed more than once within six months).
Their health outcomes were compared with those of 402,478 (4.02 million) people of the same age who had never been prescribed paracetamol repeatedly.
This study analyzed data from Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Gold. Participants were aged 65 years or older (mean age 75 years) and had been registered with a UK general practitioner for at least one year between 1998 and 2018.
A 2016 study published in The Lancet pooled and analyzed data from 76 randomized trials published between 1980 and 2015, involving 58,451 patients. Researchers at the University of Bern found that paracetamol does not provide minimally effective analgesic effects and does not improve physical function in patients. Patients with knee osteoarthritis and hip joint disease.
