PARACETAMOL could be driving up your heart attack risk.
A large study has shown that Brits who have take the drug containing a “hidden ingredient” are more likely to end up having a heart attack, stroke, heart failure or die.
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Most people will be unaware that salt is sometimes added to paracetamol to help it break down in water.
But the researchers estimate that 170 out of every 10,000 adults in the UK use salt-containing medication.
Over-the-counter, the drugs are sold as “fast-dissolving”, “extra soluble” or “effervescent”.
Elderly people and women are more likely to use drugs with salt in them.
Experts have said that some people can exceed their recommended daily salt limit (2g) by using the pills over day.
Lead researcher Professor Chao Zeng said: “People should pay attention not only to salt intake in their food but also not overlook hidden salt intake from the medication in their cabinet.
“Our results suggest re-visiting the safety profile of effervescent and soluble paracetamol.”
The team, led by Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China, looked at health data of 300,000 Brits aged between 60 and 90 years old.
They had either been prescribed salt containing paracetamol or non-salt-containing paracetamol – those in tablet, capsules or oral suspension forms.
In those with high blood pressure (hypertension), the risk of heart attack, stroke or heart failure after one year was 5.6 per cent in the salt-paracetamol group.
This compared to 4.6 per cent in those with hypertension taking non-sodium-containing paracetamol, according to the findings published in the European Heart Journal.
Among those who did not have hypertension, the risk of cardiovascular disease after a year was 4.4 per cent compared to 3.7 per cent.
Deaths were also higher among those who took salt-laden paracetamol, with a risk of 7.3 per cent compared with 5.9 per cent.
MILLIONS AT RISK
Experts said people should be given the cheap painkillers without salt in, or the packets should at least come with a warning.
In a linked editorial, two experts from the The George Institute for Global Health, in Australia, said there are “likely to be millions of people worldwide” taking this form of paracetamol and “increasing their risk of premature death”.
“In the UK alone, in 2014 there were some 42 million paracetamol containing medicines prescribed, with a further 200 million packs sold over the counter,” they said.
“This equates to 6,300 tonnes of paracetamol sold each year in the UK.”
The pair said the popularity of “fast-acting” or “fizzy” medications is rising, which is likely to drive up related side effects.
The most “effective” way to reduce harms is to introduce mandatory “front-of-pack warning labels”, they said.
The British Heart Foundation’s Medical Director Prof Sir Nilesh Samani said: “This research looked at people who were taking effervescent and soluble paracetamol over a longer period.
“If you take paracetamol that contains sodium occasionally to manage an isolated headache or very short bouts of pain, these research findings should not cause unnecessary concern.”
Tim Chico, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, University of Sheffield, who was not involved with the study, said it was “well conducted”.
He said the findings “makes sense based on evidence from other studies that compare salt intake with future health”.
It comes only two weeks after experts at the University of Edinburgh found taking paracetamol daily pumps up the risk of heart attack or stroke by 20 per cent for people with high blood pressure.