Acetaminophen and the Risk of Asthma: the Epidemiologic and Pathophysiologic Evidence

Overview

Journal Chest

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Pulmonary Medicine

Date 2005 Feb 12

PMID 15706003

Citations 31

Authors

Ihuoma Eneli

Katayoun Sadri

Carlos Camargo Jr

R Graham Barr

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The prevalence of asthma has increased worldwide. The reasons for this rise remain unclear. Various studies have reported an association between acetaminophen, a widely used analgesic, and diagnosed asthma. In a prospective cohort study, the rate of newly diagnosed asthma was 63% higher among frequent acetaminophen users than nonusers in multivariate analyses. Studies of patients with asthma suggest that acetaminophen challenge can precipitate a decline in FEV(1) > 15% among sensitive individuals. Plausible mechanisms to explain this association include depletion of pulmonary glutathione and oxidative stress. This article reviews the existing literature and evaluates the epidemiologic and pathophysiologic evidence underlying a possible link between acetaminophen and asthma.

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