Paracetamol may increase risk of gastrointestinal, heart related complications among elderly: Study
- The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Nottingham found that paracetamol use was linked to a 24% and 36% rise in risk of peptic ulcer bleeding and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, respectively.
A study has found that Paracetamol medicine may increase the risk of gastrointestinal, heart and kidney-related complications among adults aged 65 and above.
The drug is used to treat mild-to-moderate fever and is also the first drug recommended to cure osteoarthritis — a chronic condition causing pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints due to wear-and-tear.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Nottingham, UK, found that paracetamol use was linked to a 24 per cent and 36 per cent rise in risk of peptic ulcer bleeding (bleeding due to ulcer in the digestive tract) and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, respectively.
Its usage also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease by 19 per cent, heart failure by 9 per cent and hypertension by 7 per cent.
"This study shows a significant incidence of renal, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal side effects in older people, who are prescribed acetaminophen (paracetamol) repeatedly in the UK," the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research.
"Due to its perceived safety, paracetamol has long been recommended as the first line drug treatment for osteoarthritis by many treatment guidelines, especially in older people who are at higher risk of drug-related complications," said lead researcher Weiya Zhang from the University of Nottingham's School of Medicine.
"Whilst further research is now needed to confirm our findings, given its minimal pain-relief effect, the use of paracetamol as a first line pain killer for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people needs to be carefully considered," Zhang said.
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For the study, health records of 180,483 people were analysed. They were repeatedly prescribed paracetamol (more than two prescriptions within six months).
The participants were aged 65 and over (average age 75) and had been registered with a UK general practitioner for at least a year between 1998 and 2018.
Their health outcomes were compared to those of 4,02,478 people of the same age who were never prescribed paracetamol repeatedly.
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Business NewsScienceHealthParacetamol may increase risk of gastrointestinal, heart related complications among elderly: Study
First Published:14 Dec 2024, 10:33 PM IST
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