Watch Those Painkillers!

If you have a headache, a sprain, sore muscles, or something like that, it’s perfectly OK to take a painkiller for relief. In fact, it’s the sensible thing to do. But if you turn to the medicine cupboard too frequently, you may be doing yourself unrecognized harm. And if you have to take painkillers regularly - every day or so - for something like arthritis, you should be aware of the results of a recent study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The Health Professionals Follow-up Study followed 16,000 men aged about 65 for a 4 year period.

The men’s use of acetaminophen (Tylenol®), NSAIDs (such as Advil®, Excedrin®, and the like), and aspirin was recorded, along with information on whether they had developed high blood pressure. During the 4 years, almost 2,000 of them developed hypertension. Those who took acetaminophen 6 or 7 days a week had a 34% higher risk; similar NSAID use carried a 38% increased risk, and aspirin a 26% increased risk of hypertension. Fifteen or more pills a week carried an almost 50% increased risk. Less frequent use of these meds was safer – with 2-3 pills a week, only in the case of aspirin was there a raised likelihood of developing high blood pressure.

These results are similar to those found in the Nurses Health Study, where women were the subjects. Despite this, Dr Franz Messerli , an eminent hypertension expert, is not so convinced; he believes that NSAIDs may be guilty, but not acetaminophen or aspirin. Time will tell, no doubt. But to be on the safe side and avoid becoming part of the silent epidemic, only take a painkiller when you really need to.