Painkillers linked to high blood pressure

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who frequently take over-the-counter pain relievers have higher blood pressure than those who don't, a new study shows.

Two recent studies linked use of painkillers to the development of high blood pressure in women, Dr. John P. Forman and his associates note in their article in the Archives of Internal Medicine. However, research evaluating the same issues among men is scarce, they add.

To fill the gap, the team looked at data from the Health Professionals Study, an ongoing study of male health care providers that began in 1986, with biennial questionnaires gathering information about health-related behavior and medical events.

In the 2000 and 2002 questionnaires, the subjects were asked how often they took acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol), aspirin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen.

The investigators, all from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, identified 16,000 subjects with normal blood pressure in 2000. During 4 years of follow-up, 1968 subjects reported a new diagnosis of hypertension.

After taking into consideration age, weight, smoking, physical activity, diet, and family history, the team found that men who used acetaminophen 6 or 7 days per week were 34 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure than non-users. With NSAID use, the risk increased 38 percent, and with aspirin it was 26 percent.

Among subjects who took at least 15 pills per week of any of the drugs, the risk of developing hypertension was 48 percent higher than for those who rarely used painkillers.

Given how commonly these drugs are taken, Forman and his associates conclude, "our results may have substantial public health implications, and suggest that these agents be used with greater caution."

SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, February 26, 2007.