A new study has raised concerns about the repeated use of paracetamol in older people. According to new research led by experts at the University of Nottingham, repeated doses of paracetamol can increase the risk of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal complications in people above the age of 65.
The study, published in Arthritis Care and Research, examines the safety of oral acetaminophen at its therapeutic dose in adults aged 65 years or more. Repeated doses of paracetamol can lead to osteoarthritis in older people.
Professor Weiya Zhang, from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, who led the study in a statement, said, “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.”
They analysed the health records of 180,483 people data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Gold, aged 65 and over with an average age of 75, and had been registered with a UK GP practice for at least a year between 1998 and 2018. They were compared to a controlled group of 402,478 individuals of the same age who had never been prescribed paracetamol for long-term use. The result indicated that prolonged use of paracetamol was linked to an increased risk of peptic ulcers, heart failure, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease.
According to Professor Zhang, while further research is needed to confirm these findings, the study calls for a reevaluation of paracetamol’s role as a first-line painkiller for chronic conditions like osteoarthritis in older adults.
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“Whilst further research is now needed to confirm our findings, given its minimal pain-relief effect, the use of paracetamol as a first-line pain killer for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people needs to be carefully considered,” Professor Zhang added.
The study also this study suggests, that healthcare providers may need to reconsider treatment options for older patients. Though acetaminophen is often considered safe, it is linked to several serious complications. Considering its limited effectiveness as a pain reliever, its use as the first-line oral analgesic for long-term conditions in older adults definitely requires careful reassessment.
