Sodium in soluble paracetamol may be linked to raised blood pressure

A 58 year old woman was diagnosed as having polymyalgia rheumatica in 2000. Her blood pressure was slightly raised (140/74 mm Hg). Her past medical history was otherwise unremarkable and her condition stable. She takes 5 mg prednisolone a day, up to six over the counter Panadol tablets (GlaxoSmithKline, Brentwood; 500 mg paracetamol) a day, and Calcichew D3 Forte (Shire, Basingstoke; 1.25 g calcium carbonate and 10 μg colecalciferol) …