If today paracetamol is one of the most popular products in the pharmacopoeia, it seems that this drug is not as innocuous as it may seem. Indeed, a recent study seems to show that regular use of this molecule could have serious effects on our health. A subject on which Objection invites you to discover more.
Health and paracetamol: risk of heart attack and stroke
Precautions to take
When you feel feverish or sometimes have to deal with a slight headache, it is very common to take paracetamol to relieve the discomfort or pain. Moreover, this chemical compound is quite simply the most used analgesic and the most prescribed in the world. Nevertheless, even if it proves to be very effective against dental and joint pain, flu-like conditions or even painful periods, it is not a question of taking it lightly. First of all, it is essential to respect the dosage with a catch which must be done every 4 hours maximum.
If you are used to paracetamol, it is also good to know that there are contraindications. Indeed, people who suffer from liver disease must absolutely proscribe it from their pharmacy box. Moreover, an overdose can also cause liver problems in a healthy subject. However, if Objection decides today to raise the subject with you, it is not to give you a summary of the instructions, but to share with you the results of the study which seems particularly worrying. It would indeed seem that paracetamol can really increase the risk of heart disease and blood pressure.
Figures that challenge
As the scientific magazine Circulation reports, researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have therefore worked on the issue for a long time. To do this, they called on 110 volunteers who took paracetamol for more than 15 days. The daily doses were about 4 grams distributed in case of recovery except for some testers who actually consumed a placebo. Quickly, the doctors were thus able to observe major differences in the data they were able to collect.
Indeed, for two-thirds of people who had taken paracetamol for more than two weeks, there was clear evidence of a substantial increase in blood pressure. According to researcher James Dean, there is in any case no doubt. He also reminds us that hypertension is “one of the strongest risk factors for heart attacks and strokes cerebral ». That is why all of its results are extremely important. Nevertheless, it is good to clarify some points for the good understanding of the result of this study. According to Iain MacIntyreadviser to the National Health Service : “This does not concern the occasional or short-term use of paracetamol for a headache or a fever, for example. There is nothing wrong with that of course”.
Paracetamol: A transient or temporary increase?
According to Dispenser Gill, lecturer in clinical pharmacology at St. George’s University in London, many questions still arise in relation to the use of paracetamol. He actually wonders if this increase in blood pressure would be maintained with very long-term use of this molecule. He also brings a downside to the conclusions of his colleagues: “Secondly, it is not certain that an increase in blood pressure due to the intake of paracetamol leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease” . Therefore, a question arises: who to believe and should we really to be wary of this drug which has become extremely commonplace in our daily lives?
In any caseif paracetamol proves to be one of the most common products in the fight against the minor ailments of our everyday life, this study seems to invite us to be cautious. It is also well known that excess harms everything and that it is better prevent than cure. Also, in an interview given to our colleagues at the BBC, Depend Gill asserts that paracetamol would increase blood pressure well even if it is in a very weak way. But he also points out that there are still many unknown factors. In other words, there is no question of taking the slightest risk and using this drug without really Realize that it is not just a throat lozenge or candy. A file thatObjection will follow with great attention to provide you with new information, if necessary.