Do you pop a paracetamol every time you have a headache? A new study on the popular painkiller has thrown up some very concerning findings.
Regular use of paracetamol could raise your heart attack risk considerably.
Scientists at University of Edinburgh in UK have concluded that daily use of paracetamol raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The researchers have asked the doctors to be careful before prescribing paracetamol to people at risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The first-of-its-kind trial found that just four days of taking paracetamol causes a clinically significant hike in blood pressure, The Telegraph UK has reported.
The researchers have calculated that regular paracetamol use — about 4g a day, or eight standard tablets — could increase the risk of heart disease or stroke by around 20 per cent.
Experts conducted the study on 110 patients with a history of high blood pressure and placed them on, "one gram of paracetamol four times a day or a placebo for two weeks, before reversing the regime so the placebo group got paracetamol," The Telegraph UK reported.
The study raises alarm as paracetamol was considered a safe altrnative to drugs such as ibuprofen, which are known to raise blood pressure.
ALSO WATCH: Does vitamin D deficiency increases COVID-19 severity? A new study has some insights to share