Paracetamol Is Not Safe For Older People, Finds Study

Paracetamol is one of the go-to medicines for fever or for pain. It can be bought over the counter in pharmacies, supermarkets and other shops. However, it is not as safe as we thought it to be, especially for the elderly.

A new study titled: Incidence of side effects associated with acetaminophen in people aged 65 years or more: a prospective cohort study using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, by experts at the University of Nottingham found that repeated doses of paracetamol in people aged 65 and over can lead to an increased risk of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and renal complication. The study was published in Arthritis Care and Research, which shows that care must be taken after repeated doses, wherever is required. If not, then it could lead to chronic painful conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people.

The study was led by Professor Weiya Zhang, from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham. The study then analyzed data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Gold, with participants from 65 and above, with an average age of 75. These participants were registered with a UK GP practice for at least a year between 1998 and 2018.

After looking at the health records of 180,483 people who had been prescribed paracetamol repeatedly (≥2 prescriptions within six months) during the study, the data was compared with 402,478 people of the same age who had never been prescribed paracetamol repeatedly.

"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," said Zhang.

The findings also showed that prolonged paracetamol use was associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcers, heart failure, hypertension, chronic kidney disease. Furthermore, Professor Zhang added that further research is needed to confirm the findings.

Earlier in 2018, a study titled Paracetamol in Older People: Towards Evidence-Based Dosing? said that effects of paracetamol can be influenced by physiological changes that occurs due to age. This study analyzed public articles on the usage and safety of paracetamol on older people. However, the study said that there was limited evidence to draw a firm conclusion.

It is a medicine commonly used to treat mild to moderate pain, however, it does not treat the cause of your pain. It rather eases the feeling of pain. It is also prescribed for fever, backache, headache, migraine, period pain, tooth ache, and aches and pains due to colds and flu.

It has panadol, calpol, and alvedon, which makes it an analgesic and antipyretic drug, same as the acetaminophen or Tylenol drug. It has been in use for more than 70 years and eases the pain or lowers the temperature in about 30 minutes of consumption. The effect usually lasts for 4 to 6 hours.

Paracetamol also comes in various forms, including tablets, capsules, suppositories, soluble powders, and liquid.