Study: Some Over-The-Counter Pain Meds Cause High Blood PressurePOSTED: 4:35 pm EST February 27,
2007 The following is a transcript of a report by medical editor Marilyn Brooks that first aired Feb. 27, 2007, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m. We all get little aches and pains every now and then, but a new study found we'd better find another way of making them go away.That study said the pain medications in our medicine cabinets carry the risk of high blood pressure.You can buy nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs just about anywhere, and they are the most widely used over-the-counter pain drugs in the world, which is good news.Those over-the-counter painkillers might increase your risk of high blood pressure, which is bad news.Blood pressure normally fluctuates, but some things take it up and keep it up, including heart disease, kidney abnormalities, adrenal gland tumors, a congenital defect in the aorta and now, a new study points the finger at over-the-counter pain medications as well.The drugs in question: ibuprofen , brand names Advil and Motrin; naproxen sodium, which is sold as Aleve; and naprosyn and acetaminophen brands, which include Tylenol; and aspirin.You don't need a prescription to buy them, but researchers said you do need to think twice before you take them.Researchers studied more than 16,000 male health professionals with normal blood pressure.Four years later, 2,000 had developed high blood pressure compared to men who didn't use pain relievers.The risk of high blood pressure jumped 38 percent in men who took the medication six or seven times a week. In men who took acetaminophen that much, it went up 34 percent, and it went up 26 percent in men who took aspirin six or seven times weekly.Researchers estimate a 65-year-old man has a 3 percent yearly risk of high blood pressure. If that man takes painkillers, the risk rises to 4 percent a year.It might seem a minute amount, but in four years, that man's 12 percent risk of high blood pressure becomes 16 percent.High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" for a reason. It doesn't hurt, but it can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure.It should be pointed out that experts said the design of the study does not definitively prove these drugs raise the risk of high blood pressure; however, it should also be pointed out that those medications have been found to raise the risk of heart attack 50 percent higher a month after patients with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and osteoarthritis stopped taking the drugs. Related Links: More County NewsGet RSS | E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2007 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
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