Long-term paracetamol use poses risk, says study
Doctors may be under-estimating the risks to patients from long-term use of paracetamol, the world's most popular painkiller, researchers said Tuesday. Chronic users of the drug — people who typically take large, daily doses over several years — may increase their risk of death, or kidney, intestinal and heart problems, they found. Led by Philip Conaghan at the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine in northern England, the team analysed data from eight previously-published studies into long-term paracetamol use. The data came only from people who had paracetamol prescribed by a doctor, as opposed to over-the-counter purchases.
