Acetaminophen Use Linked to Asthma

A six-year follow-up study of participants in the Nurses Health Study has shown that greater use of the analgesic acetaminophen was associated with an increased rate of new diagnosis of adult-onset asthma. The finding was reported in the April 1, 2004, issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Acetaminophen is often taken instead of aspirin because it has fewer gastrointestinal side effects. However, the study's authors say that acetaminophen increases glutathione levels in the lung, which can predispose people to oxidative injury and bronchospasm. Among the 299 newly diagnosed cases of asthma in the Nurses Health Study, 108 used no acetaminophen, 112 used it from one to four times a month, 41 used it five to 14 times a month, 16 used it 15-21 times per month, and 22 used it more than 22 times a month,

The investigators also noted that acetaminophen-related bronchospasm had been demonstrated in some patients who had no history of aspirin-sensitive asthma. The study was conducted by researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University (New York, NY, USA), and the Harvard School of Public Health (Boston, MA, USA; ).



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