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Does Acetaminophen
Cause or Worsen
Asthma?
By Angela S. Hoover,
Staff Writer
For nearly a decade researchers
and medical doctors have seen and
demonstrated a relationship between
acetaminophen and the onset or
worsening of asthma. One study published in 2013 definitively asserted
that there is no connection; however,
that one study did not look at all of
the specific reactions demonstrated
in studies as far back as 1998. Thus,
the jury is still out. Here is what has
been found.
The dramatic worldwide rise of
childhood asthma is more than likely
attributable to several factors and
could never be solely attributed to
acetaminophen. However, pediatric
pulmonologist Dr. John McBride of
Akron Children’s Hospital was aware
of the concerns over acetaminophen so he decided to delve into the
research. Dr. McBride has said he was
“stunned” to find that all the studies
he looked at showed a link between
asthma and acetaminophen; particularly that the more acetaminophen
somebody takes, the more likely it is
that they have asthma. He was also
taken aback by the consistency of
the findings globally. “Almost every
study that’s looked for it has found a
dose-response relationship between
acetaminophen use and asthma,”
Dr. McBride said in a press statement. “The association is incredibly
consistent across age, geography and
culture.”
Another causal relationship
observed is that the rise in asthma
closely parallels the increased use of
acetaminophen. The “asthma epidemic” accelerated in the 1980s at the
same time that aspirin was linked to
Reye’s syndrome in children. Doctors
stopped giving aspirin to children
with fevers, opting instead for acetaminophen. In 1998, Dr. Arthur
Varner argued that the switch to
acetaminophen might have fueled the
increase in asthma.
Yet even Dr. McBride acknowledges that there is no scientific
study proving acetaminophen causes
asthma. Dr. McBride believes it may
make asthma worse in asthmatic
children and he has published papers
asserting there is enough evidence
to recommend infants and children
with asthma or who are at risk for
asthma not be given acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol, and it is also an ingredient in many cough and cold products, such as NyQuil, Robitussin and
Theraflu. It may exacerbate asthma
because it decreases levels of glutathione, a peptide molecule that protects
the lungs by helping repair oxidative
damage that can drive inflammation
in the airways. Even a single dose of
acetaminophen can reduce the body’s
levels of glutathione, per research