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17 August 2005
Common Painkillers Associated With High Blood Pressure 
Researchers have just concluded a study, published in the journal Hypertension, looking into the effects of common painkillers on blood pressure in women. The study involved nearly 2,000 women aged between 51 and 77 who did not have high blood pressure when the study began. The investigators wanted to establish whether higher doses of analgesic drugs, specifically acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen) and aspirin increase a woman's risk of developing new-onset high blood pressure. "Because high blood pressure is among the most important causes of death and disease in the United States, and analgesics are the most frequently used medications, a relationship between the two would be important from a public health standpoint," said the study's lead author John Phillip Forman, of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. The researchers gathered information about whether the women used analgesic drugs, which type, how much, and why they used them, and then tracked whether they subsequently developed high blood pressure. The NSAIDs taken were mainly ibuprofen and naproxen. The results suggest that women who consume higher doses of non-aspirin painkillers are much more likely to develop high blood pressure than women who do not use them. "In our study, women who took 500 milligrams (mg) or more of acetaminophen per day, on average, were about twice as likely to develop high blood pressure as women who did not use acetaminophen," said Forman. "In addition, older women who used an average of 400 mg or more per day of ibuprofen were about 80 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure compared to older women who did not use this drug. Younger women who used more than 400 mg/day of ibuprofen had a 60 percent higher chance of developing high blood pressure," he said. "We did not find that aspirin increased women's chances of developing high blood pressure," he added. The researchers said that the results concerning acetaminophen were something of a surprise. Doctors are generally aware that NSAIDs have the potential to increase women's blood pressure but acetaminophen was perceived as a safe drug without significant effects on blood pressure. While more research, particularly concerning acetaminophen is needed; the researchers suggest that these results call for greater caution among women using acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen. "It is important to emphasize that our study is not proof that these drugs will raise blood pressure in all women. Rather, women and their doctors should use caution when using these drugs," concluded Forman.
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