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Sodium-containing acetaminophen and cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with and without hypertension
Chao Zeng1,2,3, Lynn Rosenberg4, Xiaoxiao Li5
1Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Insights
Sodium-containing acetaminophen increases cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risks in both hypertensive and non-hypertensive individuals. Avoid unnecessary sodium intake from medications like acetaminophen.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- High sodium intake is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in hypertensive individuals.
- Previous research on non-hypertensive individuals has yielded inconclusive results regarding sodium intake risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the risks of incident CVD and all-cause mortality between sodium-containing and non-sodium-containing acetaminophen initiators.
- To analyze these risks based on a patient's hypertension history.
Main Methods:
- Two cohort studies were conducted using The Health Improvement Network database.
- Marginal structural models with inverse probability weighting adjusted for time-varying confounders.
- Outcomes included incident CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure) and all-cause mortality over 1-year follow-up.
Main Results:
- Among hypertensive individuals, sodium-containing acetaminophen initiators had a 1.59 HR for CVD (95% CI 1.32-1.92).
- Among non-hypertensive individuals, the HR for CVD was 1.45 (95% CI 1.18-1.79).
- Similar risk increases were observed for specific CVD outcomes and all-cause mortality in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Initiating sodium-containing acetaminophen is associated with elevated risks of CVD and all-cause mortality, irrespective of hypertension status.
- The findings underscore the importance of avoiding unnecessary sodium intake from medications.
- Patients should be mindful of sodium content in over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen.
Aims:
Previous studies have found high sodium intake to be associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality among individuals with hypertension; findings on the effect of intake among individuals without hypertension have been equivocal. We aimed to compare the risks of incident CVD and all-cause mortality among initiators of sodium-containing acetaminophen with the risk of initiators of non-sodium-containing formulations of the same drug according to the history of hypertension.
Methods And Results:
Using The Health Improvement Network, we conducted two cohort studies among individuals with and without hypertension. We examined the relation of sodium-containing acetaminophen to the risk of each outcome during 1-year follow-up using marginal structural models with an inverse probability weighting to adjust for time-varying confounders. The outcomes were incident CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure) and all-cause mortality. Among individuals with hypertension (mean age: 73.4 years), 122 CVDs occurred among 4532 initiators of sodium-containing acetaminophen (1-year risk: 5.6%) and 3051 among 146 866 non-sodium-containing acetaminophen initiators (1-year risk: 4.6%). The average weighted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.59 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-1.92]. Among individuals without hypertension (mean age: 71.0 years), 105 CVDs occurred among 5351 initiators of sodium-containing acetaminophen (1-year risk: 4.4%) and 2079 among 141 948 non-sodium-containing acetaminophen initiators (1-year risk: 3.7%), with an average weighted HR of 1.45 (95% CI 1.18-1.79). Results of specific CVD outcomes and all-cause mortality were similar.
Conclusion:
The initiation of sodium-containing acetaminophen was associated with increased risks of CVD and all-cause mortality among individuals with or without hypertension. Our findings suggest that individuals should avoid unnecessary excessive sodium intake through sodium-containing acetaminophen use.
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