Did you know that a common headache medicine, acetaminophen, might lower blood pressure? A recent study has shed light on this interesting fact.
Acetaminophen is a well-known painkiller that many of us use for headaches. Typically, we take it orally, but in hospitals, it’s often given differently, through a vein.
This method, called “intravenous” delivery, helps the medicine work faster and is useful for patients who can’t swallow pills.
However, intravenous acetaminophen has a big side effect: it can cause a big, temporary drop in blood pressure.
This happens in many patients, including very sick ones. About six out of ten very sick patients have experienced this drop, and a third of them needed medical help because of it.
Despite this side effect, intravenous acetaminophen is still commonly used in hospitals due to its effectiveness. Many healthcare professionals are aware of this blood pressure-lowering side effect.
The research team, led by Thomas Qvistgaard Jepps from the University of Copenhagen, investigated why acetaminophen causes this drop in blood pressure.
They discovered that when given intravenously, acetaminophen bypasses the liver, leading to a different processing method compared to oral intake.
This process produces chemicals that affect potassium channels, which are important for controlling how blood vessels tighten and relax, thereby affecting blood pressure.
The team conducted further tests, using drugs to block these potassium channels in test rats. This approach successfully reduced the blood pressure drop side effect.
For most people, the researchers say, there’s no need to worry about taking acetaminophen orally as long as they stick to the recommended dose.
However, this study is particularly relevant now, as more very sick patients might receive intravenous acetaminophen during the COVID-19 crisis to manage pain and fever in hospitals.
The findings of this research, published in the journal Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, provide important insights, especially for those concerned about high blood pressure.
It also highlights the need to be aware of how different methods of drug delivery can impact our bodies.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about how diets could help lower high blood pressure, and 3 grams of omega-3s a day keep high blood pressure at bay.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how tea and coffee influence your risk of high blood pressure, and results showing this olive oil could reduce blood pressure in healthy people.
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