The movie "National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978) pits the rowdy members of the Delta fraternity house against the college's tightly wound Dean Vernon Wormer. The fact that the frat brothers once dumped a truckload of Fizzies into a swimming pool during a swim meet is proof enough for him that they should be shut down.

Fizzies, an effervescent, fruit-flavored tablet that you added to water, finally fizzled out 2016. But effervescent tablets are now popular as a way to take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen. They're also available as a combination antihistamine-antacid (ranitidine) to ease heartburn, GERD, and ulcers.

Unfortunately, a study published in the European Heart Journal reveals that the high sodium content in fast-acting acetaminophen — and those other medications — increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, all of which cause mortality in seniors.

Researchers found that over the course of a year, people who were previously diagnosed with high blood pressure and took the fizzy acetaminophen had a twofold increase in their risk of death. Among those without high blood pressure, the risk still went up 87%.

And the more of the medication they took and the longer they took it, the greater the risks.

Similar risks were seen in patients who took sodium-containing ibuprofen or ranitidine, compared to those who took non-sodium-containing acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or ranitidine as tablets, capsules, or as a suspension in a liquid.

If you take such effervescents, ask your doctor about switching as soon as possible to a form of medication that even Dean Wormer would love.