Painkillers Linked to Hypertension in Women

A new study from the American Heart Association has shown that women taking daily doses of non-aspirin pain medications are more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who don't take the medications.

The study involved 5,123 women participating in the long-running Nurses Health Study at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Results of the study were published today in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.

The study found that women taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were more likely to develop blood pressure problems than women not taking these medications.

Although many over-the-counter pain medications had previously been linked to hypertension, acetaminophen had been considered a safe alternative. NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) have previously been linked to blood pressure problems and have recently been required by the food and drug administration to carry stricter warning labels due to possible hear-related problems associated with their use.

The research found that aspirin did not cause significant blood pressure problems, though researchers do not know exactly why this is. Although aspirin appears safer with regard to blood pressure issues, aspirin still has health risks such as the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

In this study, the risk of developing hypertension for women not taking painkillers was about 1 to 3 percent per year. Women ages 34 to 53 who took an average of more than 500 milligrams of acetaminophen per day (one extra-strength Tylenol is 500 milligrams) had twice the risk of developing high blood pressure. Those who took more than 400 milligrams of NSAIDs per day (two tablets of ibuprofen are 400 milligrams) had a 60 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure.

Women ages 51 to 77 years of age who took an average daily dose of more than 500 milligrams of acetaminophen also had double the risk of developing high blood pressure within 3 years. Women in this age group who took more than 400 milligrams of NSAIDs had a 78 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure.

The bottom line? There are several issues that this study brings up. First, acetaminophen (Tylenol) may not as safe as most physicians believed. Second, daily use of all types of over-the-counter painkillers except those containing aspirin appears to increase the risk of high blood pressure in women.

There are, however, a few other points to consider. Taking these medications intermittently such that your daily dose is lower than the threshold used in the study may not increase the risk of high blood pressure. The other point to consider is that many people need to take these medications on a daily basis to relieve chronic pain syndromes and live their lives fully. If you do need to take painkillers frequently, we recommend that you discuss this issue with your doctor and watch your blood pressure carefully.