Paracetamol, also called acetaminophen, is one of the most popular medicines in the world. People use it every day to reduce fever and relieve pain from headaches, sore muscles, arthritis, and other common problems.
It is easy to find in stores and is often seen as a safer option than other painkillers, especially for people who have high blood pressure.
Unlike medicines such as ibuprofen or aspirin, paracetamol does not usually upset the stomach or cause bleeding. Because of this, doctors often recommend it for people who need pain relief but have heart problems or sensitive stomachs. But a new study suggests that paracetamol may not be completely safe for everyone.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom wanted to know if taking paracetamol regularly over a long period might affect blood pressure. This question is important because high blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease and stroke, which are two of the leading causes of death around the world.
The study included 110 people who already had high blood pressure. Half of them took paracetamol four times a day, while the other half took a placebo—a pill that looks like medicine but doesn’t contain any drug. This continued for two weeks. After a break, the groups switched, so that everyone took both paracetamol and the placebo at different times.
The researchers discovered that when people took paracetamol regularly, their blood pressure went up more than when they took the placebo.
The increase was similar to what happens when people take other painkillers like ibuprofen, which are known to be risky for heart health. This result surprised many doctors, since paracetamol has long been seen as a safer choice.
The scientists estimated that using paracetamol for a long time could raise the risk of heart disease or stroke by about 20%. That means if 100 people are at risk, about 20 more might have heart problems if they take paracetamol every day for months or years.
One of the study’s leaders, Professor James Dear, said this research is important because so many people use paracetamol. If it can raise blood pressure in people with hypertension, doctors may need to rethink how they recommend this medicine.
So, what should you do if you take paracetamol often? First, don’t panic. Paracetamol is still effective for treating short-term pain and fever. But if you take it every day for chronic pain, especially if you have high blood pressure or heart problems, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. They can help you decide what’s safest for you.
It also helps to find other ways to manage pain. Eating healthy food, staying active, getting enough sleep, and finding ways to relax can all reduce your need for pain medicine. These healthy habits also help keep your heart and blood pressure in good shape.
This study is a reminder that even medicines we think are safe can have risks. It doesn’t mean we should stop using paracetamol altogether. But it does mean we need to be careful, especially when using it for a long time.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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