Yahoo News Regular use of paracetamol even in low doses could damage heart, study finds
Scientists have found that even low doses of paracetamol could damage your heart.
The medicine, which is sold in supermarkets worldwide and commonly used in the UK, changed proteins in the heart tissue of mice, US researchers discovered. The average Brit takes 70 tablets a year.
Dr Gabriela Rivera, of the University of California, Davis, said: “We found that regular use of acetaminophen at concentrations that are considered safe — equivalent to 500 mg/day — causes numerous signalling pathways inside the heart to be altered. We expected two to three pathways to be altered, but we found over 20 different signalling pathways being affected. These results prompt me to consider using acetaminophen at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest duration possible."
The latest study was presented at the American Physiology Summit in Long Beach, California. It found mice heart tissue changed — an indicator of how well the organ is working - as a result of the tablets, reports BirminghamLive.
Mice given paracetamol showed significant changes in the levels of proteins associated with biochemical pathways involved in a range of functions after a seven-day trial, the research stated. Long-term medium to high-dose use could cause heart issues as a result of oxidative stress or the build-up of toxins, it warned.
The NHS website says: "Adults can take two, 500mg tablets, 4 times in 24 hours. You must wait at least 4 hours between doses.
"Do not take more than 8 tablets in 24 hours." It goes on to add: "Taking 1 or 2 extra tablets is unlikely to harm you. Do not take more than 8 tablets in 24 hours." Tablets come in different strengths and the painkiller can also be taken orally through a syrup, the NHS states.
