Health. Paracetamol, ibuprofen: why painkillers could accelerate antibiotic resistance
"This study reminds us that we need to carefully consider the risks associated with using multiple medications, especially in older adults who may be prescribed multiple medications," warns one of the researchers. Photo Sipa/Adil Benayache
1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019. Antibiotic resistance is a major global public health issue. For several years now, the World Health Organization (WHO), for example, has been warning of the increasing ability of bacteria to resist the action of antibiotics.
A trend that could accelerate, as revealed by this study conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia, published on August 25 in the journalNature . Paracetamol or ibuprofen.
They relieve our pain in cases of fever, colds, stomach aches... But these widely available painkillers could worsen this global health crisis, especially when they are combined with antibiotics, as scientists have revealed.
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The evaluation involved testing Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria against a painkiller and ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic used to treat common skin, intestinal, and urinary tract infections.
"When bacteria were exposed to ciprofloxacin alongside ibuprofen and paracetamol, they developed more genetic mutations than with the antibiotic alone, helping them grow faster and become highly resistant," Professor and study contributor Henrietta Venter told the specialist agency EurekAlert!.
In short, ibuprofen and acetaminophen act as boosters for bacterial mutations, making the E. coli bacteria highly resistant to the antibiotic. Researchers also noticed that the bacteria simultaneously developed resistance not only to the antibiotic administered, but also to other types of antibiotics. This further accelerated the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance and rendered many treatments ineffective.
“Antibiotics have long been essential in the treatment of infectious diseases, but their overuse and misuse have led to a global increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” laments Professor Henrietta Venter.
"This study reminds us that we need to carefully consider the risks associated with using multiple medications, especially in older adults who may be prescribed multiple medications," she warns. While the goal of this study is not to ban ibuprofen or paracetamol, she does want to warn of a still-unknown mechanism that could further complicate the fight against antibiotic resistance.
According to a study published in September 2024 in the scientific journal The Lancet , infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria could cause the death of 39 million people worldwide by 2050. "In France, by 2050, it is estimated that 238,000 people will die as a result of antibiotic resistance," states the Ministry of Health, which also warns of "the excessive and too often incorrect use of antibiotics" contributing "to the development and spread of bacteria that have become resistant."
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