Posted on September 18, 2008 in Latest News
Taking paracetamol regularly can increase asthma risk. According to a new study, people who take paracetamol weekly are 3 times more at more risk than people who take paracetamol less frequently. This study was organized by GALEN, Global Allergy and Asthma European Network. According to Dr Seif Shaheen, one of the authors of this study, there is higher rate of asthma in countries where the paracetamol sales are high.
The GALEN Study:
In this study, European researchers observed about 500 adults and their paracetamol intake. The results of the study suggest that allergy symptoms increase with regular paracetamol use. Taking painkillers, however, did not increase the risk of asthma.
Paracetamol reduces the antioxidant glutathione in the body. This antioxidant protects the airways from pollution, dust and smoke. Researchers opine that as paracetamol reduces this useful antioxidant, this might be the reason for increased risk of asthma among paracetamol users.
This study was published in European Respiratory Journal. However, researchers are yet to conduct further clinical trials to strongly establish the relationship between paracetamol and asthma risk.
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