People with high blood pressure who regularly take paracetamol could be at increased risk of heart disease and strokes, a study suggests.
As a result, researchers say patients who have a long-term prescription for the drug, usually used for the treatment of chronic pain, should be given the lowest effective dose for the shortest time possible.
The scientists say it has been assumed that paracetamol was a completely safe drug to use in patients with chronic pain.
But their findings indicate the effect on blood pressure is similar to non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen, which are known to increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease, and also used to manage chronic pain.
The increase in blood pressure might be expected to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke by about 20 per cent, the experts say.
They suggest the study should lead to a review of long-term paracetamol prescriptions to patients, particularly those with the condition, or those at particular risk of heart disease or stroke.
“This study clearly shows that paracetamol, the world’s most used drug, increases blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for heart attacks and strokes," said Prof James Dear, chairman of clinical pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh.
“Doctors and patients together should consider the risks versus the benefits of long-term paracetamol prescription, especially in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.
“In summary, we’ve shown that two weeks of treatment with paracetamol increases blood pressure in patients who have hypertension [high blood pressure]."
Lead investigator Dr Iain MacIntyre, consultant in clinical pharmacology and nephrology at NHS Lothian, said: “This is not about short-term use of paracetamol for headaches or fever, which is, of course, fine.
"But it does indicate a newly discovered risk for people who take it regularly over the longer term, usually for chronic pain."
The study found that after people stopped taking the drug, their blood pressure returned to levels at the start of the study, suggesting the drug increased it.
Researchers said they did not have accurate numbers of the people in the UK who were on paracetamol long term and had high blood pressure.
But it is estimated that one in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure increasing with age, while one in 10 people in Scotland, where the research was conducted, take paracetamol regularly, a figure that is likely to be similar elsewhere.
In the study, 110 patients with a history of high blood pressure were prescribed 1 gram of paracetamol four times a day — a dose routinely prescribed for patients with chronic pain — or a placebo for two weeks each.
Researchers found there was a significant increase in the blood pressure of those taking the painkiller, compared with those taking the placebo.
The experts said the study was set up to see a very small effect on blood pressure, and they were surprised to see a much bigger impact.
Prof Dear suggested the research indicates the findings could affect a large number of people.
The scientists say that a limit to their study was that it did not look at patients who had chronic pain.
But there is no reason to think that patients who are taking paracetamol for treatment of pain would have a different blood pressure response to the patients in the study, they say.
“This research shows how quickly regular use of paracetamol can increase blood pressure in people with hypertension who are already at increased risk of heart attacks and strokes," said Prof Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study.
“It emphasises why doctors and patients should regularly review whether there is an ongoing need to take any medication, even something that may seem relatively harmless like paracetamol, and always weigh up the benefits and risks.”
Dr Richard Francis, head of research at the Stroke Association, said: “High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke.
“This new and robust study adds to previous research and suggests regular paracetamol causes blood pressure to quickly increase in people who are already at risk of stroke and heart attacks.
“It’s therefore important that doctors regularly review and weigh up the risks and benefits of prescribing paracetamol.”
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Scoreline
Syria 1-1 Australia
Syria Al Somah 85'
Australia Kruse 40'
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
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5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
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Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Honeymoonish
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
more from Janine di Giovanni
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