Heart danger: Hidden sodium in effervescent pain pills

Soluble pain relievers, analgesics, bring quick relief to a patient suffering from any type of pain. Researchers warn that some of these drugs have increased and hidden amounts of salt, which negatively affect people with cardiovascular disease.

In a study recently published in the European Heart Journal, it is pointed out that for every half gram of paracetamol in a dissolving tablet, there is about 0,4 gram of sodium, which is one of the main components of salt.

Sodium is often added to medicines to make them dissolve more easily in water and to be absorbed more quickly, unlike tablets that are taken undissolved. In this way, by taking these drugs, the daily intake of salt in the body can often be exceeded.

The research is based on a population-based study in the United Kingdom, suggesting a negative impact of analgesics for people with cardiovascular disease.

Data were compared on about 300.000 adults over the age of 60, some of whom had high blood pressure and some who did not, but all of whom had recently been prescribed paracetamol by their doctors.

Patients who took paracetamol daily were more exposed to the risk of heart attack, cardiac arrest, than patients who took analgesics without sodium.

Numerous studies have shown a link between sodium and cardiovascular disease among patients with high blood pressure.

People with high and normal blood pressure were at similar risk of heart problems when they added salt to their meals.

Additional tests will be needed to determine whether this extra dose of sodium led to the high blood pressure that affects heart health, reports RTS.

In the meantime, the researchers warned doctors and patients to be aware of taking drugs with an increased dose of sodium.

"People should pay attention to the daily salt intake, as well as the hidden salt intake found in pain relievers," said Dr. Chao Zeng, who works at the Central University of China.

Although the US Food and Drug Administration requires that all drugs with increased amounts of sodium should be visibly labeled, there is no warning about the potentially harmful effect of sodium, which contains paracetamol, on cardiovascular disease. The obtained results suggest a limited intake of effervescent paracetamol tablets.

Fortunately, there are some forms of soluble paracetamol that are either sodium-free or sodium-free. These are excellent alternatives for those looking for the quick effects of effervescent drugs without the possible drawbacks of long-term use.

"There is an urgent need to protect consumers from such health risks. "The most effective strategy is likely to be mandatory front-of-pack labeling of all drugs containing high amounts of sodium," the researchers said.