Health
Common pain reliever could cause medical complications in some people over 65, study suggests
New research has revealed that a common medication might not be safe for everyone.
Acetaminophen, brand name Tylenol, is a pain reliever and fever reducer that’s often included in other drugs, such as cold and flu medicines.
The U.K.-based study — published in Arthritis Care & Research, an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology — analyzed the safety of the drug in older individuals.
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The researchers looked at data for more than 180,000 acetaminophen users compared to 400,000 non-users from 1998 to 2018.
The findings revealed that the use of acetaminophen – sometimes also called paracetamol – was associated with an increased risk of serious medical complications.
Acetaminophen may be found in cough, cold and flu medications, as well as in creams, gels, salves and even suppositories, one gerontologist noted. (iStock)
This includes peptic ulcer bleeding, uncomplicated peptic-ulcers, lower gastrointestinal bleeding, heart failure, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
In a University of Nottingham press release sent to Fox News Digital, lead study author Professor Weiya Zhang, PhD, clarified that long-term use of the drug should be “carefully considered.”
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“Due to its perceived safety, paracetamol has long been recommended as the first-line drug treatment for osteoarthritis by many treatment guidelines, especially in older people who are at higher risk of drug-related complications,” he wrote.
“While further research is now needed to confirm our findings, given its minimal pain-relief effect, the use of paracetamol as a first-line painkiller for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people needs to be carefully considered.”
“This is a good reminder that all medicines used chronically have side effects,” said one physician. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and senior medical analyst at Fox News, shared his reaction with Fox News Digital.
“It is generally accepted doctrine that acetaminophen is not associated with GI bleeding or advancing kidney disease, but the thinking is starting to change on this front,” said the doctor, who was not involved in the study.
“Yes, over-the-counter medications are still medications.”
There is evidence suggesting that acetaminophen “modulates the same cyclooxygenase-related pathways” as anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, which can “increase adverse GI side effects,” according to Siegel.
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The large U.K. study, the doctor commented, is limited by “being observational,” as well as by an “inability to track over-the-counter as opposed to prescriptions, which were tracked.”
Another potential limitation was that some users had other contributing factors and behaviors, such as smoking and obesity.
“By inhibiting prostacyclin, it can increase the risk of bleeding,” a doctor warned about the drug. (iStock)
“Still, this is a good reminder that all medicines used chronically have side effects, and we are not always sure what they are,” he said. “This is why we continue to do post-market analysis and to re-evaluate medicines.”
He continued, “And yes, over-the-counter medications are still medications. Acetaminophen is well-known for its liver toxicity, but there are other side effects as well, as this study suggests.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Kenvue, Inc., maker of Tylenol, requesting comment on the study.
Risks for older adults
Gerontologist Dr. Macie P. Smith in South Carolina, who was not involved in the study, also reacted to the findings.
“I am happy someone is talking about the side effects of certain medications and how they disproportionately impact … those over [age] 65,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Several medications are not recommended for the older adult population, Smith said.
“Simply because they could tolerate the medications at a younger age does not mean their body can tolerate the same medications at an older age, since their body and brain will change as they age,” she noted.
People over age 65 should consult with their doctor before taking medications, experts advise. (iStock)
Some of the complications mentioned in the study, such as GI bleeding, hypertension and kidney disease, can increase the risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, even premature death, according to Smith.
“I would recommend that older adults consult with their primary care doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications, since acetaminophen can be found in cold and flu medications and in creams and [ointments],” she advised.
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“Anything that is identified as a medication or drug should be discussed with the doctor, as geriatrics is a specialized practice and those who fall under this category should receive specialized care.”
Smith also recommended that older adults use only one pharmacy, so the pharmacist can consult the patient’s “running ledger” of prescription medications.
“I would recommend that older adults consult with their primary care doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications.”
“If someone over the age of 65 comes in for over-the-counter medications, the pharmacist can easily and quickly check for medication side effects and possible interactions between their prescription and OTC medications,” she said.
Older brains and bodies might not be able to handle the types of medication they could at a younger age, experts say. (iStock)
Acetaminophen in particular should be “taken with caution” and under the direction of a doctor for those 65 and older, she cautioned.
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Smith urged older individuals and their caretakers to “read the important information that comes with any and all medications.”
She added, “Don’t hesitate to speak to the pharmacist and/or your doctor about the risks and the benefits, then make an informed decision and choose well.”
Fox News Digital reached out to a number of drug manufacturers for comment.
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Early detection is widely seen as key to cancer survival, which is why screenings and prevention are so widely recommended.
And the message seems to be getting across, according to a study led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) and published in JAMA Oncology.
Researchers found that over a 45-year span — between 1975 and 2020 — improvements in cancer screenings and prevention strategies have reduced deaths from five common cancers more than any advances in treatments.
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“In fact, prevention and screening interventions accounted for eight out of 10 deaths averted,” co-lead investigator Katrina A. B. Goddard, Ph.D., director of NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences in Maryland, told Fox News Digital via email.
Over a 45-year span — between 1975 and 2020 — improvements in cancer screenings and prevention strategies have reduced deaths from five common cancers more than any advances in treatments. (iStock)
Using the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) and cancer mortality data, the study analyzed death rates and screenings for five cancer types: breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate.
A total of 5.94 million deaths were prevented for those five disease types, according to an NCI press release. Eighty percent of those averted deaths were attributed to screening and prevention.
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Below are the averted deaths for each individual type of cancer.
– Breast cancer: 250,000 deaths
– Lung cancer: 3,381,000 deaths
– Cervical cancer: 160,000
– Colorectal cancer: 743,000
– Prostate cancer: 201,600
“In recent years, these five cancers have made up nearly half of all new cancer diagnoses and deaths,” said Goddard.
“Prevention and screening interventions accounted for eight out of 10 deaths averted.”
Prevention and screening beat out treatment advances in terms of preventing deaths for cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers.
Breast cancer was the only type for which treatment advances prevented more deaths.
Quitting smoking was found to be the most beneficial prevention strategy overall, credited for averting 3.45 million lung cancer deaths.
Breast cancer was the only type for which treatment advances prevented more deaths. (iStock)
“This study provides strong evidence to support the benefits of prevention and screening for these cancers,” Goddard said.
“For people wanting to act on this information, I suggest they talk to their health care providers about what steps they may want to take to help prevent and screen for cancer.”
Potential limitations
The study had some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.
First, the five cancer types represented less than half of all cancer deaths.
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“The findings for these cancers may not necessarily apply to other cancers — especially those for which there are not effective prevention, screening or treatment interventions,” noted Goddard.
“It’s also worth noting that the findings are based on population averages in the United States and may not be generalizable to specific population groups.”
Quitting smoking was found to be the most beneficial prevention strategy overall, credited for averting 3.45 million lung cancer deaths. (iStock)
The study also looked at mortality and did not include other measures, such as quality of life.
Finally, the researchers did not take into account potential risks of screenings, such as false positives and overdiagnosis.
Reducing risk for specific cancers
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, agreed that cancer screenings are “crucial,” along with advances in treatment.
For breast cancer, he emphasized the importance of early intervention and advanced treatment modalities.
“Aggressive treatments, including lumpectomy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy, have saved lives,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. “Also digital mammography, and increased use of ultrasound and MRI where needed.”
To reduce lung cancer deaths, the biggest impact is reduced smoking, Siegel reiterated.
“We need to optimize the uptake and use of prevention and screening for these five cancers so that all Americans can benefit.”
“Also improved imaging, earlier screening, chemo followed by immunotherapy, and now the use of robotics for earlier surgical intervention.”
For colon cancer, colonoscopy combines screening with treatment (polypectomy), “which has changed the playing field,” the doctor noted.
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To reduce the risk of cervical cancer deaths, Siegel recommends getting the Pap test and the HPV vaccine, as well as the removal of any precancerous lesions found during screening.
“For prostate cancer, I am a believer in the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, so am glad to see this statistic,” he told Fox News Digital.
“For prostate cancer, I am a believer in the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, so am glad to see this statistic,” one doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“PSA is a tool to guide you and not an automatic biopsy. MRI, biopsy, robotic surgery and various forms of radiation treatments have all saved many lives.”
Siegel also noted that screening and interventions guided by artificial intelligence will likely save many lives across all kinds of cancers.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“We need to optimize the uptake and use of prevention and screening for these five cancers so that all Americans can benefit, especially underserved populations, as well as develop novel prevention and screening strategies to avert deaths due to other, very lethal cancers, such as those of the pancreas and ovary,” stated co-lead investigator Philip E. Castle, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention, in the NCI press release.
Living longer doesn’t always mean living healthier.
That’s according to a study published in JAMA Network Open, which found a “widening gap between lifespan and healthspan” among 183 countries.
In 2019, there was a “healthspan-lifespan gap” of 9.6 years globally, a 13% increase from 8.5 years in 2019, Mayo Clinic researchers found.
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That gap was largest in the U.S., as Americans live in poor health for an average of 12.4 years, compared to 10.9 years in 2000.
The “healthspan-lifespan gap” was largest in the U.S., as Americans live in poor health for an average of 12.4 years, compared to 10.9 years in 2000. (iStock)
The U.S. also reported the “highest burden of chronic disease,” the researchers noted, primarily due to mental illness, substance use disorders and musculoskeletal conditions.
The researchers analyzed data from the WHO Global Health Observatory, which included statistics on life expectancy, health-adjusted life expectancy and years lived with disease for each member country.
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Lead study author Dr. Andre Terzic, the Marriott family professor of cardiovascular research at Mayo Clinic, calls the healthspan-lifespan gap a “universal threat to healthy longevity.”
“Advances in longevity are a major milestone for humankind — gains in life expectancy, however, have not been matched with an equivalent expansion in healthy longevity,” he told Fox News Digital.
The U.S. reported the “highest burden of chronic disease,” the researchers noted, primarily due to mental illness, substance use disorders and musculoskeletal conditions. (iStock)
There was also a gender gap, with women experiencing more years in poor health than men.
“Worldwide, women live longer than men, but exhibit a 2.4-year-wider healthspan-lifespan gap,” said Terzic.
“In the U.S., women had a higher non-communicable disease burden, with a particularly pronounced contribution from musculoskeletal, genitourinary and neurological diseases.”
The study findings point to the need for an “accelerated pivot to proactive, wellness-centric care systems,” according to Terzic.
The study findings point to the need for an “accelerated pivot to proactive, wellness-centric care systems,” according to the lead researcher. (iStock)
“Further study is needed to identify demographic, economic and health drivers of the healthspan-lifespan gap.”
The research was funded by the Marriott Family Foundation, National Institutes of Health and National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
Personalized nutrition is key, doctor says
Grant Antoine, a naturopathic doctor and clinical lead at Viome, a health care testing company in Bellevue, Washington, said there are a number of factors that have widened the healthspan-lifespan gap in the U.S.
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“While medical advancements have extended life expectancy, they haven’t addressed the root causes of poor health, such as diet, chronic stress, sedentary lifestyles and preventable diseases,” he told Fox News Digital.
“These issues are compounded by the fact that there is no one answer to eating healthy.”
Some of the key factors contributing to aging and reduced healthspan include poor nutrition, imbalanced gut health and chronic inflammation, according to one expert. (iStock)
Some of the key factors contributing to aging and reduced healthspan include poor nutrition, imbalanced gut health and chronic inflammation, according to Antoine.
“To close the healthspan-lifespan gap in the U.S., we need to prioritize personalized, science-backed nutrition that’s based on each individual’s biology rather than a one-size-fits-all diet,” he recommended.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“There is no universally healthy diet or supplement. Personalized nutrition is a key to ensuring that people live healthier longer.”
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