Could paracetamol be doing more harm than good?

Paracetamol may be a go-to remedy for nagging pain, but for older adults, it could be doing more harm than good.

According to the latest research from the University of Nottingham, repeated doses of paracetamol in people aged 65 and over could lead to an increased risk of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and renal complications.

The study, published in Arthritis Care and Research, emphasised caution when using repeated doses for chronic pain, such as osteoarthritis, in older adults.

Led by Professor Weiya Zhang, from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, the study analysed data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Gold.

Researchers looked at the health records of 180,483 people who had been prescribed paracetamol repeatedly during the study. Their health outcomes were then compared to 402,478 people of the same age who had never been prescribed paracetamol repeatedly.

Alarmingly, the findings showed that prolonged paracetamol use was associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcers, heart failure, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

“Whilst further research is now needed to confirm our findings, given its minimal pain-relief effect, the use of paracetamol as a first line pain killer for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people needs to be carefully considered,” Professor Zhang said.

Given the potential risks of long-term paracetamol use, exploring alternative pain management strategies is essential.

One promising option, supported by recent research, is regular exercise, which not only improves overall fitness but may also serve as an effective tool for managing chronic pain.

In order to understand the link between exercise and the benefits it poses for pain management, researchers from the University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø examined data from a major population survey study known as the Tromsø Study. This study involved 10,732 Norwegian adults and is periodically conducted in Norway.

The researchers examined data from two stages of the Tromsø Study, one conducted from 2007 to 2008 and the other from 2015 to 2016. This data included information on participants’ self-reported physical activity levels and their pain tolerance levels, which were assessed through a test involving the immersion of their hands in cold water.

After analysing the data, the researchers discovered that individuals who reported being physically active in either stage of the Tromsø Study exhibited higher pain tolerance compared to those who reported leading a sedentary lifestyle in both stages.

Furthermore, participants with greater overall levels of physical activity demonstrated increased pain tolerance, and those who had higher activity levels in 2015/2016 compared to 2007/2008 showed an overall higher level of pain tolerance.

The findings suggest that regular physical activity may help ease or prevent chronic pain by boosting pain tolerance.

“Becoming or staying physically active over time can benefit your pain tolerance,” the study’s authors said.

“Whatever you do, the most important thing is that you do something!”

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.