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A study has found that the drug paracetamol may increase the risk of gastrointestinal, heart and kidney-related complications in adults aged 65 and older.
This medicine is used to treat mild to moderate fever and is also the first medicine recommended to cure osteoarthritis – a chronic condition that causes pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints due to wear and tear.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Nottingham in the UK, found that paracetamol use was associated with a 24 percent and 36 percent increase in the risk of peptic ulcer bleeding (bleeding due to ulcers in the digestive tract) and lower gastrointestinal bleeding. , respectively.
Its use increases the 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 kidney, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal side effects in older people who are frequently prescribed acetaminophen (paracetamol) in the UK,” the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.
“Due to its perceived safety, paracetamol has long been recommended by many treatment guidelines as a first-line drug for osteoarthritis, especially in older people, who are more at risk of drug-related complications,” said lead researcher Weiya Zhang, from the university. Are at high risk of.” Nottingham School of Medicine.
“Further research is now needed to confirm our findings,” said Zhang, adding that given its minimal pain-relieving effect, the use of paracetamol as a first-line painkiller for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people should be cautiously considered. There is a need to consider.” ,
Health records of 180,483 people were analyzed for the study. He was prescribed paracetamol repeatedly (more than two prescriptions within six months).
Participants were aged 65 years and over (median age 75) and were registered with a UK general practitioner for at least one year between 1998 and 2018.
Their health outcomes were compared with those of 4,02,478 people of the same age who were not prescribed paracetamol as frequently.
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