People who take acetaminophen for hip or knee aches might have to look for a better alternative after a recent study showed that the analgesic drug was ineffective at helping relieve body pains typically associated with osteoarthritis.

Dr. Sven Trelle and his colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland examined the efficacy of several medications at eliminating pains caused by the degenerative joint disease known as osteoarthritis. They also looked at the ability of these drugs to help improve the physical function of patients.

While acetaminophen had shown better results compared to placebo used in the study, the researchers discovered that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are significantly more effective at relieving osteoarthritis pain. This class of drug includes diclofenac and ibuprofen.

Among the painkillers analyzed by the research team, diclofenac appeared to work best at not only eliminating osteoarthritis-related hip and knee aches, but in improving joint function as well.

However, Trelle and his team caution patients in using NSAIDs in the long run, as these drugs are known to have side effects.

NSAIDs, along with paracetamol, are often prescribed to patients in order to help manage mild to moderate body aches caused by osteoarthritis. Although, of these drugs, only paracetamol is given for long-term use. This is because most painkillers can produce adverse effects on sufferers, such as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems, if used for too long.

The researchers, however, found that paracetamol use does not properly address osteoarthritis pain.

Aside from not being able to offer better pain management, taking acetaminophen can also pose dangers to the health of patients, according to pharmacology expert Dr. Nicholas Moore from the University of Bordeaux in France.

"Acetaminophen may not be as safe as most people would believe," Moore said. "It is known to be toxic to the liver, and acetaminophen overdose is a leading cause of liver transplantation."

Moore added that NSAIDs are known to be more effective in relieving osteoarthritis pain, and for patients not to use these drugs leaves them more susceptible to abusing acetaminophen use.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the company that manufacturers of the acetaminophen-based drug Tylenol, contests the findings of the recent study, stating that its product remains an important option for patients, especially those who suffer from medical conditions that NSAIDs may not be able to properly treat.

The drug maker said that the safety and efficacy of acetaminophen is backed by more than 150 clinical studies conducted over the past five decades.

The findings of the University of Bern study are featured in the journal The Lancet.

Photo: Steven Depolo | Flickr