Paracetamol may increase risk of gastrointestinal, heart related complications among elderly: Study

A study has found that Paracetamol medicine may increase the risk of gastrointestinal, heart and kidney-related complications among adults aged 65 and above. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Nottingham, UK, found that paracetamol use was linked to a 24 per cent and 36 per cent rise in risk of peptic ulcer bleeding and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, respectively. "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 lead researcher Weiya Zhang from the University of Nottingham's School of Medicine. "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," Zhang said.