Regular use of paracetamol may increase the risk of stroke and heart disease by around 20 per cent, according to research.
The findings suggest that long-term use of the common painkiller can raise blood pressure, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Until fairly recently, paracetamol was considered safe for people with high blood pressure.
Research from 2022 showed that paracetamol can raise blood pressure to a similar degree as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, which are already known to increase cardiovascular risk.
Clinicians say this rise in blood pressure could increase the likelihood of heart disease or stroke by about 20 per cent.
They advise that people prescribed paracetamol long term, often for chronic pain, should take the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.
The study, led by Dr Iain MacIntyre, a consultant in clinical pharmacology and nephrology at NHS Lothian, found that blood pressure returned to baseline once participants stopped taking the drug, suggesting paracetamol caused the increase.
MacIntyre said occasional use was not a concern.
“This is not about short-term use of paracetamol for headaches or fever, which is, of course, fine, but it does indicate a newly discovered risk for people who take it regularly over the longer term, usually for chronic pain,” he said.
The researchers said they did not have precise figures on how many people in the UK with high blood pressure take paracetamol long term.
However, estimates suggest around one in three adults with high blood pressure regularly use the drug.
The team added that the study was designed to detect only a small effect on blood pressure, making the size of the increase unexpected.
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said the findings “emphasise why doctors and patients should regularly review whether there is an ongoing need to take any medication” and “always weigh up the benefits and risks”.
Blood Pressure UK estimates that around one in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure.
In England, this affects 31 per cent of men and 26 per cent of women.
