Paracetamol is one of the most used analgesics by the general population to treat mild to moderate pain and high fever. It is considered very safe, so it is even given to small children. However, new research has found that its use should be restricted for some older adults because it can have unwanted and potentially serious side effects.
Specifically, and as revealed by the results of the study published in Arthritis Care and Research, in people over 65 years of age, paracetamol can increase the risk of experiencing gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and kidney complications, so extreme caution should be taken when Use of this medication is intended to relieve pain associated with chronic diseases, such as osteoarthritis.
“Due to its perceived safety, many treatment guidelines have long recommended paracetamol as a first-line pharmacological treatment for osteoarthritis, especially in older people who are at higher risk of medication-related complications,” explained the professor. Weiya Zhang from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham who led the study.
Increased risk of peptic ulcer and kidney disease
The researchers analyzed data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Gold registry, whose participants were aged 65 years or older (average age 75 years) and registered in UK GP surgeries for at least one year between 1998 and 2018. .
“The use of paracetamol as a first-line analgesic for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people should be carefully considered”
They examined the medical records of 180,483 people who had been prescribed paracetamol repeatedly (two or more prescriptions in a six-month period) and then compared their health outcomes with those of 402,478 people in the same age group who had never been prescribed paracetamol. taken paracetamol repeatedly.
The results revealed that long-term use of paracetamol is associated with an increased risk of developing various health problems, such as peptic ulcers, heart failure, hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Thus, for example, they found that peptic ulcer bleeding was 24% more common in those taking this drug, lower gastrointestinal bleeding was 36% more common, and heart failure was 9% more likely.
Although researchers have not been able to determine a direct relationship between paracetamol and these conditions, they consider that its risks could outweigh its benefits and that its use should be analyzed in older patients and those with chronic diseases. “While more research is now needed to confirm our findings, given its minimal pain-relieving effect, the use of paracetamol as a first-line analgesic for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people should be carefully considered,” he concluded. Professor Zhang.
