The comparison of ibuprofen versus acetaminophen for blood pressure in preeclampsia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies

Abstract

Introduction The comparison of ibuprofen with acetaminophen for blood pressure (BP) in preeclampsia remains controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the impact of ibuprofen versus acetaminophen on BP for preeclampsia. Methods We search PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library databases through October 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of ibuprofen versus acetaminophen on BP for preeclampsia. This meta-analysis is performed using the random-effect model. Results Four RCTs are included in the meta-analysis. Overall in preeclampsia patients, ibuprofen and acetaminophen show similar systolic BP (SBP) (standard mean difference [SMD] = 0.04; 95% CI = −0.26–0.34; p= .81), diastolic BP (DBP) (SMD = 0.15; 95% CI = −0.18–0.48; p = 0.38), mean BP (MAP) (SMD = 0.02; 95% CI = −0.29–0.33; p = .91), severe range BP (SMD = −0.10; 95% CI = −0.40–0.19; p = .50), severe hypertension (SMD = 1.18; 95% CI = 0.85–1.62; p = .32), and satisfaction level (SMD = 1.2; 95% CI = 0.95–1.53; p = .13). Conclusions Ibuprofen and acetaminophen may have no significant influence on BP for preeclampsia.