Evidence that drugs are associated with a mass of negative health
effects continues to mount: Researchers found that regular use of
the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen was linked to higher
rates of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
as well as reduced lung function.
Experiments involving animals suggested that acetaminophen might
lower antioxidant activity in the lungs; however, whether such results
translated to an effect on human respiratory disease was unknown.
That was until ...
Researchers Evaluated Data
... from the Third National Health Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES III) from 1988-94. Participants involved in the study were
asked whether they had taken acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen
during the previous month. Among the 13,492 participants:
- Almost 7 percent had asthma.
- Some 12 percent suffered from COPD.
- Almost 3 percent were plagued with both.
Of the group, 4.3 percent of the participants said they used acetaminophen
on a daily basis, compared to 8.2 percent who used aspirin and 2.5
percent who used ibuprofen.
Researchers concluded acetaminophen use was linked to asthma and
COPD--its risk increased in relation to the dosage. And while lung
function was also impaired by the daily use of acetaminophen, taking
aspirin or ibuprofen was not linked with respiratory illness.
American
Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine May 1, 2005;171:966-971
Medical
News Today May 3, 2005
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