Researchers from the UK’s University of Nottingham have found that repeated doses of the common painkiller paracetamol can lead to increased health risks in people over the age of 65.
In a study led by Professor Weiya Zhang, repeated use of paracetamol was correlated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal complications.
“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,” Zhang said.
The study analyzed data from the health records of more than 180,000 people aged 65 to 75. The sample was given two paracetamol prescriptions during the study.
Their health indicators were then compared to over 400,000 people of the same age who had never been prescribed the medicine.
The research findings showed that prolonged use of paracetamol “was associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcers, heart failure, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease.”
Professor Zhang highlighted that further research is needed to confirm the findings. “ The use of paracetamol as a first-line painkiller for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people needs to be carefully considered,” Professor Zhang said.
The research was published in the Arthritis Care and Research journal.