The study gathered data from 180,483 acetaminophen-users and 402,478 nonusers registered with a United Kingdom general practice for at least 12 months between 1998 and 2018.
Here are four takeaways:
- The study found that older adults who regularly use acetaminophen were at higher risk of developing peptic ulcer bleeding and lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Specifically, the risk of peptic ulcer bleeding was 24% higher among acetaminophen users, and the risk of lower gastrointestinal bleeding was 36% higher.
- Acetaminophen use was also linked to an increased risk of heart failure (9% higher) and chronic kidney disease (19% higher).
- The study found a 7% increase in the risk of developing hypertension among regular acetaminophen users, raising concerns about the long-term cardiovascular health of older adults using the pain reliever.
- Despite being widely considered a safe pain reliever, acetaminophen was found to have minimal effectiveness for long-term pain management in older adults.
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