Few Adults Talk to Providers About BP Risks of OTC Pain Relievers

TUESDAY, Nov. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Only about 30 percent of U.S. adults have spoken with their health care professional about the adverse effects some over-the-counter pain relievers can have on blood pressure, according to a poll released by the American Heart Association.

The online poll included approximately 3,000 U.S. adults. According to the results of the survey, nearly 50 percent of respondents took medication for pain once a week or more. Of all age groups, adults aged 45 to 54 years reported taking over-the-counter pain relievers most frequently. Of respondents who had been diagnosed with high blood pressure, White and Asian adults (40 percent) were significantly less likely than Black (54.2 percent) and Hispanic (54.1 percent) adults to have ever discussed the effect some pain relievers have on blood pressure with a health care professional.

“It”s paramount that people who have high blood pressure, or are at risk for it, understand the effects associated with some over-the-counter pain relievers,” Mitchell S.V. Elkind, M.D., chief clinical science officer of the American Heart Association, said in a statement. “Some over-the-counter pain relievers are safer than others. A conversation with a health care professional about pain relief options is essential to preventing and managing high blood pressure.”

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