Paracetamol is one of those medicines that would be said to be a remedy “for all kinds of pain” .A basic kit that is really used to relieve earaches, headaches, odontogenic pain or pain from minor surgeries, among others. But, at this point it is worth mentioning that it is not a remedy for the heart. Taking paracetamol in high doses and for a long time increases the chance of heart disease, in addition to increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure.
The research, carried out by the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, ensures that the risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or early death increases by up to63% in those people assiduous to the medication.
The probability of suffering a heart attack, for example, is 68% more.It would also cause stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding, the chances of which increase by 50%. Of course, paracetamol is considered a safer drug than aspirin , for example, and ibuprofen.
The researchers analyzed 8 studies with 666,000 patients who have taken paracetamol daily in the last 14 years , to treat arthritis and back pain, and compared their results with people who did not take or took little of the drug.
According to one of the scientists behind the study, it is difficult to establish a direct correlation between the consumption of paracetamol and the causes of death, since those who usually take the medication on a daily basis usually already suffer from diseases that cause early deaths.
Transaminases
On the other hand, from the AEMPS they report that the consumption of paracetamol can have side effects considered rare (affects 1 in 1,000 patients); such as malaise, low blood pressure (hypotension) and increased levels of transaminases in the blood.
Transaminases are a set of enzymes distributed throughout the body that are involved in the function of metabolism and in the pproduction of different amino acids.They are usually located in the liver and heart, and high levels can cause inflammation.
If you need to take an NSAID, take the lowest dose you need for the shortest amount of time possible to limit your risk of heart attack or stroke.It’s also probably safe to take NSAIDs once in a while. However, you should be aware that serious side effects can occur within just the first few weeks of continuous use of an NSAID, and the risk may increase the more you use it.
Study result
The study concludes that “relative to placebo, paracetamol treatment induced an increase of approximately 3/2 mmHg in mean 24-hour BP: systolic BP: 122.4 ± 11.9 mmHg vs. 125.3 ±12.0mmHg; p = 0.02. Diastolic BP: 73.2 ± 6.9 mmHg vs. 75.4 ± 7.9 mmHg; p = 0.02».
Specifically, no significant differences were found in terms of heart rate, components of the renin-angiotensin system, prostaglandin metabolism, renal biochemical parameters, endothelial function, or platelet function.
Finally, this research work concludes that Paracetamol as a medicine increases blood pressure in patients with coronary disease.
Thus, based on this study, it is estimated that the prescription of paracetamol in this type of situation should be carried out with the same precautions established for NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors.
