Source: DGNews  |  Posted 8 years ago

By Ed Susman

BOSTON, MA -- November 6, 2003 -- Patients with liver cirrhosis do not appear to worsen their condition by taking over-the-counter analgesics such as acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, researchers reported here October 30th at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

"Interestingly, we found that cirrhotic patients ingest significantly less over-the-counter analgesics than non-cirrhotic controls," said Sakib Khalid, PhD, post-doctoral fellow in gastroenterology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States. "The ingestion of low quantities of over-the-counter analgesics below recommended dosages does not play a role in the decompensation of cirrhosis."

Dr. Khalid noted in his poster presentation, however, "as expected, alcohol is an important contributor to decompensation in alcoholic cirrhosis."

Dr. Khalid and his colleagues undertook the prospective study because over-the-counter analgesics can theoretically lead to decompensation of cirrhosis. "Acetaminophen, an intrinsic hepatotoxin, would do so by producing an acute or chronic liver injury, particularly in the setting of chronic alcohol consumption," Dr. Khalid explained. He said, "the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could cause -- in theory