RSS Feeds

Earth Science

Space Science

Life Science

Fields of Scientific Study

Nanotechnology

Cancer

Definitions of The Fields of Scientific Study

Acetaminophen or acetylsalicylic acid increases risk of developing chronic kidney failure

December 21, 2001

People who regularly use high dosages of pain-relievers or antipyretic drugs containing acetaminophen (paracetamol) or acetylsalicylic acid run an increased risk of developing permanent reduced kidney function (chronic renal failure).

This was found in a nation-wide Swedish research study published on December 20 in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study was carried out by researchers at the Department of Medical Epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute in collaboration with kidney doctors all over the country.

In the investigation 1,924 men and women between the ages of 18 and 75 were interviewed about their use of pain-killers or antipyretic (fever-reduction) medication. Responses from 926 individuals with newly discovered kidney ailments and moderately reduced renal function were compared with responses from 998 control individuals with healthy kidneys. It turned out that regular use of drugs with acetaminophen or acetylsalicylic acid, each by itself, was tied to an increase in the risk of chronic renal failure. This risk rose with increased aggregate dosage. Those who had regularly taken drugs with acetaminophen totaling 500 grams (1,000 tablets) or more had more than three times the risk of developing chronic renal failure. Those regularly using drugs with the equivalent amount of acetylsalicylic acid had almost twice the risk.

Even a small risk of damaging effects can entail large-scale consequences since the use of pain-relievers and antipyretic drugs is extremely wide-spread. It is important to point out, however, that sporadic use of drugs with acetaminophen or acetylsalicylic acid, on average once per week or less, does not involve any increase in the risk of developing chronic renal failure.

All patients in the study had a background kidney ailment with increased risk for deteriorated kidney function. It has previously been shown that moderate use of medicines with acetaminophen or acetylsalicylic acid by people with fully healthy kidneys does not increase the risk of deteriorated kidney function.

On the other hand, the results of this study prescribe caution in the long-term treatment of pain in elderly or chronically ill individuals who per se face an increased risk of developing deteriorated kidney function.

VetenskapsrÃ�det (The Swedish Research Council)

Science Research Departments

	Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists by Scientific Explorer Mind blowing experiments to delight and educate young scientists! Erupt a color changing volcano. Mix up magic ooze with a mind of its own. Play with sand that never gets wet. Mix safe chemicals and watch colors change before your eyes. You'll amaze yourself and your friends as you explore the science behind these truly remarkable reactions.
	The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson (Author) Science has never been so easy - or so much fun! With The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book, all you need to do is gather a few household items and you can recreate dozens of mind-blowing, kid-tested science experiments. High school science teach Tom Robinson shows you how to expand your scientific horizons - from biology to chemistry to physics to outer space. You'll discover answers to questions like: Is it possible to blow up a balloon without actually blowing into it? What is inside coins? Can a magnet ever be "turned off"? Do toilets always flush in the same direction? Can a swimming pool be cleaned with just the breath of one person? Get ready to enter the laboratory and learn how to conduct cool experiments, understand scientific terms...
	Scientific Explorer's Disgusting Science - A Kit for Studying the Science of Revolting Things by Scientific Explorer Grow your own friendly germs and fuzzy molds. Mix up a batch of coagulating fake blood. Even make a stinky intestine. learn the science behind unmentionable bodily functions while doing some truly NASTY Experiments. Ages 8+
	The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How It Works (National Geographic) by National Geographic (Author), Marshall Brain (Foreword) A delight for the casual reader, yet so complete and wide-ranging that science buffs and students will welcome it, The Science Book encapsulates centuries of scientific thought in one richly illustrated volume. Natural phenomena, revolutionary inventions, and the most up-to-date investigations are explained in detailed text, and 2,000 vivid illustrationsincluding 3-D graphics and pictogramsmake the information even more accessible and amazing to discover. The Science Book offers both a general overview of topics for the browsing reader and more specific information for those seeking deeper insight into a particular subject. Six major sections, ranging from the universe and planet Earth to biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, encompass everything from microscopic life...
	Magic School Bus Journey into the Human Body Science Kit by Young Scientist Club The Magic School Bus and Ms. Frizzle take Young Scientists on a wild ride into the human body with these breathtaking experiments. Young Scientists bend bones, make joints, map taste buds, expand lungs, build a stethoscope, measure lung capacities and heart rates, perform the iodine starch test, spin glitter, simulate synovial fluid, create a human body poster, and much, much more! This exciting kit includes a life-size poster with eight sheets of body part stickers. So put on your seat belts, students, and get ready to discover The Human Body!
	The Complete Book of Science, Grades 5-6 by School Specialty Publishing (Author) The Complete Book of Science for grades 5 to 6 teaches children important science skills! Children complete a variety of exercises that help them develop a number of skills in this 352 page workbook. Including a complete answer key this workbook features a user-friendly format perfect for browsing, research, and review. Over 4 million in print! The best-selling Complete Book series offers a full complement of instruction, activities, and information about a single topic or subject area. Containing over 30 titles and encompassing preschool to grade 8 this series helps children succeed in every subject area! ...
	Scientific Explorer's Tasty Science Chemistry in the Kitchen Kit by Scientific Explorer Who knew science could taste so good? With this kit, you’ll whip up cupcakes, cookies, candy, and more—all in the name of science! Learn what makes cakes rise, candy crystallize, and more real chemistry happen in the kitchen. Tasty Science is packed with ingredients, recipes, activity cards, a test tube laboratory, and lots more to explore the science of taste.
	ScienceWiz Inventions Experiment Kit and Book 13 Experiments, Inventions by Sciencewiz This kit includes a 40 page full-color book and materials. Years of testing with children has produced this carefully crafted set of doable projects. Build, Build, Build! a spinning motor a clicking telegraph a light flashing generator a real radio Step-by-step, highly visual instructions lead a child successfully through each invention. Incredible illustrations present central scientific concepts, allowing children to discover the "why" as well as the "how". The use of everyday materials demystifies the way common electronic components work. Although Inventions is designed for 8 year olds and up, this title has had an extraordinary history and following. It has been used at MIT to mentor high school students in physics. It has been used at U.C. Berkeley to mentor women...
	What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Author), Paul Meisel (Author) Did you ever walk through a wall? Drink a glass of blocks? Have you ever played with a lemonade doll, or put on milk for socks? This latest addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series introduces the youngest readers to an important science concept: the differences between solids, liquids, and gases. Any child who wants to know why he can't walk through a wall will enjoy Kathleen Zoehfeld's simple text and Paul Meisel's playful illustrations.
	Scientific Explorer's Spa Science Chemistry Kit by Scientific Explorer Whip your bath into a frothy fizzing sea of color and fragrance. Make colorful, fragrant bath gels, bath fizzers, spa lotion, bath balm, a face mask, and shampoo. Mix colors and fragrances to creat your own product line with secret and exclusive mixtures. Explore the science of gels, fragrance and fizzers. Mixing fragrances in the bathtub is a delight for both girls and boys. It’s one of the best ways to introduce them to the fun of science. Kids will spend hours in the tub with this kit mixing ingredients to make foaming frothing baths and smelling potions and conducting science experiments to see how scents affect our alertness, moods and memories. Comparing the responses of siblings, parents and friends makes this a shared adventure the entire family will enjoy