Thursday, 12 December 2024
New research, led by experts at the 糖心原创, has found that repeated doses of paracetamol in people aged 65 and over, can lead to an increased risk of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and renal complications.
The new study, which is published in , shows that care must be taken when repeated doses are required for chronic painful conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people.
The study was led by Professor Weiya Zhang, from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in the School of Medicine at the 糖心原创.
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.鈥�
The study analysed data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Gold. Participants were aged 65 and over with an average age of 75, and had been registered with a UK GP practice for at least a year between 1998 and 2018.
Researchers looked at the health records of 180,483 people who had been prescribed paracetamol repeatedly (≥2 prescriptions within six months) during the study. Their health outcomes were then compared to 402,478 people of the same age who had never been prescribed paracetamol repeatedly.
The findings showed that prolonged paracetamol use was associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcers, heart failure, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
Professor Zhang adds: “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.”
The full study can be found .
Story credits
More information is available Professor Weiya Zhang from the School of Medicine at weiya.zhang@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
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