Acetaminophen Use May Not Be as Safe with Frequent Use

December 16, 2024 TruthUSA

In a study of people aged 65 and older, regular usage of acetaminophen was linked to heart failure, kidney problems, ulcers, and other issues.

A study in the United Kingdom found that “repeated doses” of acetaminophen for people aged 65 and older may lead to health complications.

University of Nottingham researchers found that people who often take acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and which is called paracetamol in several other countries, should take extra care when dosing for chronically painful conditions such as osteoarthritis, according to a news release issued on Dec. 12.

“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 University of Nottingham professor Weiya Zhang in a statement published in the Arthritis Care and Research journal.

The study’s authors said they analyzed data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Gold, a UK medical database, and analyzed participants aged 65 and older who had an average age of 75. The subjects used acetaminophen between 1998 and 2018.

The researchers also evaluated health records for 180,483 people who were prescribed acetaminophen on a regular basis, which the authors defined as two prescriptions or more within a six-month period. Their health outcomes were then compared with 402,478 individuals who were not repeatedly prescribed the painkiller, the authors said.

Prolonged usage of acetaminophen was associated with a higher risk of developing heart failure, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and peptic ulcers, or a type of ulcer that affects the lining of the upper part of the small intestine and stomach.

What Other Recent Studies Say

Earlier this year, researchers at the University of California, Davis, also called into question whether regular use of acetaminophen is safe after finding that the painkiller was found to alter proteins in heart tissue. Published in April, the study was conducted on mice, researchers said.