New York, (Feb 27) Regular intake of some common painkillers may cause hypertension in middle-aged men, warns a study.

The painkiller pills are acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin. The scientists recommend that people limit their use of these medications unless they are clearly indicated, reported health portal Health Day.

If they have chronic symptoms requiring the use of these drugs, they should discuss alternative treatments with their healthcare providers, according to researcher Gary Curhan at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

The researchers looked at 16,031 male health professionals without a history of hypertension. The participants provided information about their use of acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen), and aspirin.

The men, with an average age of 64.6 years, were followed for four years, with 1,968 of them developing hypertension.

Those who used acetaminophen six to seven days a week had a 34 percent higher risk of hypertension than men who did not use the drug. Similarly, men who took NSAIDs six or seven days a week had a 38 percent higher risk of hypertension, while those taking aspirin at this frequency had a 26 percent higher risk.

And compared with men who took no pills, those who took 15 or more pills each week had a 48 percent higher risk of hypertension.

All three painkillers may inhibit the effect of chemicals that would normally relax blood vessels and decrease blood pressure, the researchers said. However, the researchers want more research on the subject.

“We have now seen these associations in men and women,” Curhan said. “The next steps include finding out if people stop these drugs after years of use, does their blood pressure decrease?”(IANS)