Paracetamol is one of the most widely used medicines in the world. People often take it to ease pain or bring down a fever.
It’s known for being easy to get from stores or pharmacies and is often thought to be very safe, especially compared to other pain medicines like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
Many doctors recommend paracetamol for people who cannot take NSAIDs, especially those with heart problems or high blood pressure. This is because NSAIDs are known to raise blood pressure and possibly increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes.
But new research from the University of Edinburgh is raising concerns. A study led by Iain MacIntyre and published in the journal Circulation shows that long-term use of paracetamol may also carry health risks, especially for people with high blood pressure.
In the study, researchers followed 110 people who already had high blood pressure. These participants were randomly given either paracetamol or a placebo, which looks like real medicine but has no active drug in it.
The dose of paracetamol was similar to what many people take for chronic pain—one gram, four times a day. This treatment lasted for two weeks.
The findings were unexpected and concerning. The people who took paracetamol had a clear increase in their blood pressure compared to those who took the placebo.
This rise in blood pressure was about the same as what is usually seen in people who take NSAIDs. The researchers warned that this increase in blood pressure could raise the risk of heart attacks or strokes by about 20 percent.
This is important because many people use paracetamol every day without thinking twice. It’s often seen as a harmless choice for managing long-term pain. But for people who already have high blood pressure, this study shows that paracetamol might not be as safe as once believed.
The research team says doctors and patients need to be careful when using paracetamol for long periods. They suggest that paracetamol should be used at the lowest possible dose and for the shortest time needed.
People with high blood pressure or a risk of heart disease should talk to their doctor before using paracetamol regularly. Doctors may need to consider other ways to manage pain, depending on each person’s health condition.
This new study doesn’t mean people should stop taking paracetamol completely. It is still a helpful medicine for short-term use or when other painkillers are not an option. But it is a reminder that even common medicines can have side effects and should be used wisely.
In the end, this study reminds us that no medicine is completely risk-free. People should always check with their doctor, especially if they have health conditions like high blood pressure. Medicine should always be taken with care, even if it’s something as familiar as paracetamol.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about common blood pressure medication that may extend your healthy life span and common high blood pressure drug linked to sudden cardiac arrest.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that timing matters when taking high blood pressure pills and 1 in 5 people with high blood pressure taking a drug worsen the disease.
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