Impact of acetaminophen use

Investigators examined the safety of acetaminophen use in older adults.

In a study published in Arthritis Care & Research, investigators examined the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and renal outcomes of just less than 583,000 patients aged 65 years and older who either used or didn’t use acetaminophen. Exposure to acetaminophen was defined as two or more prescriptions within six months.

Compared with those who didn’t use acetaminophen, those who did use the medication experienced higher rates of peptic ulcer bleeding, uncomplicated peptic ulcers, lower gastrointestinal bleeding, heart failure, hypertension and chronic kidney disease. The risk of adverse events was found to be positively correlated with the number of prescriptions for acetaminophen.

Clinicians should consider the potential adverse effects of acetaminophen when deciding to prescribe the treatment long term in older patients.

Read more: Arthritis Care & Research

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