http://www.boston.com/dailynews/199/nation/Large_study_of_men_finds_no_li:.shtml

Large study of men finds no link between painkillers, kidney failure

By Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press, 7/18/2001 01:09

CHICAGO (AP) Moderate use of over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin, Tylenol and ibuprofen does not appear to cause kidney failure in healthy men, as some feared, according to one of the biggest studies yet to examine the issue.

The study of 11,032 men was paid for by the National Institutes of Health and the makers of the Tylenol.

The patients used up to 500 pills a year a little over one a day for an average of 14 years, and no link was found even among those who used the most.

Three categories of pain relievers were studied: aspirin; Tylenol and other forms of acetaminophen; and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, such as naprosyn, which is sold as Aleve, and ibuprofen, which is in Motrin and Advil.

Since 1980, at least eight studies have examined whether pain relievers are associated with various degrees of kidney failure. Two found no clear association, but the rest suggested there was a link, especially with Tylenol and other forms of acetaminophen.

The latest research was published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

''While more research is needed, we believe that these findings provide reassurance to clinicians and patients that moderate analgesic use is unlikely to contribute to increased risk of renal dysfunction'' in patients without kidney problems, said the authors, led by Dr. Kathryn Rexrode of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

The study does not address two important questions: whether similar results would be found in the sizable number of patients who take several painkillers daily and in women, who are disproportionately affected by conditions requiring pain medicine, such as arthritis and menstrual cramps, said Dr. William Henrich, a University of Maryland kidney specialist.

''There's a sense among consumers that if a product is available in a grocery store or drug store over the counter, that it can be used safely and frequently,'' said Henrich, chairman of the school's department of medicine. ''That is an assumption which is in need of testing.''

The researchers looked at the self-reported use of pain relievers by men who were ages 40 to 84 when the study began.

Kidney function was determined by two blood tests at the study's end. One measured levels of creatinine, a waste product normally cleared by the kidneys. The other measured how quickly and efficiently the kidneys were able to remove creatinine.

Dr. Paul Whelton of Tulane University, who led an earlier study linking heavy use of acetominophen to kidney failure, said the new findings are not conclusive because the researchers did not use a series of tests that could have more accurately assessed progression of kidney disease.

On the Net:

JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org

National Kidney Foundation: http://www.kidney.org/general/atoz/content/analgesics.html

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001