Painkillers and their effect on blood pressure

No one is immune to different kinds of pain whether it's headaches, toothaches or pain from a cold that you treat with short-term painkillers, or pain from joint conditions that requires longer-term use of painkillers.

However, if you have high blood pressure, you should keep a close eye on your readings when taking painkillers.

Many painkillers list an increase in blood pressure as a possible side effect. This also applies to over-the-counter products, which are often used as the first choice for pain and fever during cold season.

As early as 2007, researchers in the USA investigated the effect of painkillers on blood pressure. In that study, participants who initially had normal blood pressure levels were followed. Within four years, one in eight participants had developed elevated blood pressure. The biggest impact on blood pressure came from painkillers in the NSAID group (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which include diclofenac and ibuprofen, for example.

Commonly used paracetamol was not far behind and increased the risk of high blood pressure by 34 percent. In this study, ASA (for example, aspirin) performed best.

In a more recent study, researchers examined the effects of different NSAID active ingredients on blood pressure. The effects that NSAIDs can have on blood pressure are particularly interesting because these drugs are used to treat painful conditions like osteoarthritis and arthritis. Both conditions mainly affect older people a patient group in which high blood pressure is also common.

Until now, these drugs were generally assumed to raise blood pressure. According to the latest findings, however, this depends on the specific active ingredient.

Worldwide, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, naproxen or celecoxib are among the most commonly prescribed medications. Ibuprofen and naproxen are available over the counter and are therefore often used for self-medication.

In particular, ibuprofen can significantly affect blood pressure. In the study, systolic values were 3.7 mmHg higher after four months. Considering that lowering blood pressure by 2 mmHg reduces the risk of heart attack by 10 percent and the mortality risk in coronary heart disease by 7 percent, the importance of this result becomes clear. Naproxen raised systolic blood pressure by an average of 1.6 mmHg. Treatment with celecoxib, on the other hand, was associated with a slight average decrease in systolic blood pressure of 0.3 mmHg.

People with high blood pressure should therefore discuss taking painkillers with their doctor to find a suitable active ingredient that affects their blood pressure as little as possible.

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This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 04/2024).

Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.

Painkillers and their effect on blood pressure

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