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Common painkillers linked to kidney failure Individuals who have kidney disease or other ailments who regularly take aspirin or acetaminophen may be boosting their risk of developing kidney failure, a new study suggests. Researchers report that such patients who were regular users--those who took these painkillers at least twice a week for 2 months--were two to three times more likely to develop chronic kidney failure, compared with individuals who did not use those painkillers regularly. The risk appears to be much less for those without pre-existing kidney disease. The study was conducted by Dr. C. Michael Fored and colleagues of the Karolinska Medical Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Their study findings are published in the December 20th issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. In an interview, Fored said doctors should carefully consider whether patients with chronic renal (kidney) disease should be taking aspirin or acetaminophen at all. "Each patient must be considered individually with respect to the risk of progressive renal failure," Fored said, adding that the results also call for caution in prolonged treatment of pain in elderly and chronically ill people who may already be at increased risk of kidney failure. The team of researchers reviewed medical records and interviewed 926 patients recently diagnosed with early-stage renal failure and 998 healthy people. Participants were in their late-50s, on average. About 37% of kidney failure patients used aspirin and 25% used acetaminophen regularly, compared with 19% and 12% of individuals without renal failure, the report indicates. Individuals who used either drug regularly were 2.5 times more likely to develop chronic renal failure, compared with individuals who did not use these painkillers. The risk rose in tandem with the amount of either drug taken over a lifetime, the investigators found. When the researchers disregarded recent use of painkillers--which could have resulted from problems preceding kidney disease--this weakened the association only slightly, according to the report. And in looking at only participants with diabetes--a major underlying cause of kidney failure--regular aspirin and acetaminophen use were still linked to an increased risk. The results support those of other studies that have found an association between regular use of painkillers and an increased risk of chronic kidney failure in susceptible individuals. "Our results are consistent with exacerbating effects of acetaminophen and aspirin on chronic renal failure, practically regardless of accompanying disease," Fored and colleagues conclude. Dr. Cinque's comments: It is alarming to consider how casually people commonly consume aspirin and acetominophen. You even see children doing it. And of course they are oblivious to the silent damage being done to their kidneys. Your kidneys each have about one million filters, called nephrons. You don't really need that many- witness all of the people who lose one kidney and function just fine. However, destroy enough nephrons, and you reach a threshold at which your kidneys can no longer keep up with the workload. By the time kidney failure is diagnosed, it is a hopeless situation. There is no dietary supplement, and certainly no drug, that is going to restore failing kidneys. In fact, drugs are the single greatest cause of kidney failure. I have known people whose kidneys were ruined by taking painkillers for arthritis. The irony is that kidney failure is a much worse predicament than arthritis. Please be very sparing and cautious in your use of any painkilling drugs. E-mail to a friend Previous Article Next Article |
