Do You Use Aspirin or Tylenol
Regularly? Beware as They Are Linked to Kidney Failure
Individuals who have kidney disease or other ailments who regularly take
aspirin or acetaminophen may be boosting their risk of developing kidney
failure.
Researchers report that such patients who were regular users -- those who
took these painkillers at least twice a week for 2
months -- were two to three times more likely to have the beginning stages of
chronic kidney failure, compared with individuals who did not use
these painkillers on a regular basis.
This study and others have found that the risk is minimal in those without
pre-existing kidney disease.
Individuals who used either drug regularly were 2.5 times more likely to be
diagnosed with chronic renal failure, compared with individuals who did not
use these painkillers. The risk rose in tandem with the amount of either drug
taken over a lifetime, the investigators found.
In looking at only participants with diabetes -- a major underlying cause
of kidney failure -- regular aspirin and
acetaminophen use were still linked to an increased risk.
The results support those of other studies that have found an association
between regular use of painkillers and an increased risk of chronic kidney
failure in susceptible individuals.
The results are consistent with exacerbating effects of acetaminophen and
aspirin on chronic renal failure, practically regardless of accompanying
disease.
Risk of
Kidney Failure Associated with
the Use of
Acetaminophen, Aspirin, and
Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs
Thomas V. Perneger, Paul K. Whelton, and Michael J. Klag
Volume
331:1675-1679 December 22, 1994 Number 25
The New England Journal of Medicine December
20, 2001;345:1801-1808
