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Blood Pressure
Common Pain Medications Increase Blood Pressure
Non-narcotic analgesics such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen are the most frequently used drugs in the United States. Since Cox2 inhibitors are now under fire for potentially serious cardiac side effects, these painkillers could become the “safe” option for pain management in many patients. But do they, too, carry hidden risks?
New data from over 16,000 male health care professionals with no prior history of hypertension suggest that aspirin, acetaminophen, and nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen also cause deleterious effects when used routinely. The study was published by Gary Curhan M.D., Sc.D. and colleagues (Harvard School of Medicine) in the February 26, 2007 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The authors found that frequent use of these medications was associated with an increased incidence of hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Information about the frequency and duration of analgesic use was gathered for this cohort of patients, each of whom was followed for four years. The incidence of hypertension was determined by self-report. The authors found that there was a significant increase in the number of men who reported high blood pressure with increasing frequency of analgesic use. Men taking NSAIDs 6-7 times a week had a 38% increase in hypertension, while those taking acetaminophen and aspirin had an increase in incidence of 34% and 26%, respectively (Forman et al. 2007 Arch Intern Med 167). This increased incidence of hypertension was dose dependent, less of an effect was seen at lower frequencies of analgesic use.
The medical interpretations of these data have limitations, and randomized trials would be needed to better establish the connection between analgesics and hypertension. But, because of the large number of people that rely on these painkillers on a regular basis, these findings have a big clinical impact. The authors recommend that growing caution should be used when taking these drugs that once were seemingly harmless.
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