Americans tend to reach for analgesics — aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen — at the slightest hint of a headache or other discomfort. They work fairly well and these pills have always seemed so safe — or so we thought until studies started to pile up demonstrating otherwise. One key problem associated with analgesic use is high blood pressure, or hypertension. Several years ago a large study based on data from the long-term Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II showed that women who frequently or regularly used analgesics (over 500 mg/day, excluding aspirin) significantly increased risk of developing hypertension. Now some of the same researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston have looked at analgesic use in men. No surprise here: It turns out that among men, frequent and regular use of aspirin increased high blood pressure risk by 26%… other kinds of NSAIDs by 38%… while regular use of acetaminophen increased risk by 34%.
Given that advancing years eventually brings on high blood pressure for the vast majority of people, and that many older adults also suffer the aches and pains of osteoarthritis, this is a particularly troubling association. I called hypertension expert George Bakris, MD, director of the Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center to find out more. He pointed out that some of the men in the study were taking analgesics nearly every day and confirmed that this kind of frequent use does fuel hypertension. Indeed, he says that taking one to two ibuprofen every four to six hours for just one week can cause blood pressure to rise by eight to 10 mmHg. Even occasional use could raise blood pressure, though that’s less likely — so older users should keep an eye on blood pressure or other associated dangers, including the possibility of stomach or intestinal bleeding.
So what’s a person in pain to do? Obviously, it is far preferable to take as few pills as possible. But if you absolutely need to take analgesics daily because of chronic pain, such as that caused by arthritis, Dr. Bakris says to make sure your doctor knows. Your blood pressure should be checked regularly. Be aware, also, that analgesics can interact with the drugs prescribed for hypertension as well, since pain relievers affect or can be affected by several medications, decreasing or increasing the drugs’ effects. So, before you reach into your medicine chest, remember that taking a pill now and then (especially if it is acetaminophen, says Dr. Bakris) is likely okay, but popping two extra-strength ones several times a day may hurt your blood pressure and, by the way, your kidneys and liver too. But that’s another story for another day. (For information on natural options for keeping blood pressure in check, see Daily Health News, February 21, 2005.)
