Tylenol linked to asthma in teens

[steve2470]

Source: Los Angeles Times

A major new international study released Friday has found that adolescents who take acetaminophen, better known under the brand name Tylenol, have a higher risk of asthma, allergic nasal conditions and the skin disorder eczema. Those who took the common painkiller as infrequently as once a month had twice the normal risk of developing the disorders. Experts noted, however, that the study does not show that the drug causes the problems. In fact, some said, it is equally likely that the children were taking the drug because they were already suffering from asthma.

Acetaminophen is widely viewed as a very safe drug—one reason why hospitals use it routinely as a painkiller instead of aspirin or ibuprofen. The major problem associated with it is liver damage caused by overdoses. Recently, however, there has been a growing drumbeat about possible dangers from the drug. One study, for example, found that acetaminophen increased the risk of hearing loss in men. And some others have hinted that the drug is linked to asthma in newborns whose mothers used the drug during pregnancy and in young children exposed to it.

The new findings were reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine by researchers in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. The team, headed by epidemiologist Richard Beasley of the Medical Research Institute in Wellington, New Zealand, gave written questionnaires to 322,959 13- and 14-year-olds in 50 countries exploring their use of acetaminophen, other drugs, and asthma symptoms. They were also shown a video containing five scenes of clinical asthma and asked whether they had experienced any symptoms similar to those shown. About 73% of the teens said they had used acetaminophen at least once in the previous year and 30% said they had used it monthly.

Taking into account maternal education, smoking, diet and siblings, the team found that those subjects who had used the drug at least once per year were 43% more likely to have asthma, while those who used it at least monthly were 2.5 times as likely to suffer from the condition. The risk of rhinoconjunctivitis (a severe nasal congestion) was 38% higher for those who used it once per year and 2.39 times as high for those who used it at least monthly. The comparable increases in risk for eczema were 31% and 99%, respectively.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/health/sns-health-tylenol-asthma-link,0,6054999.story

[Love Bug]

1. Interesting. Aspirin was discouraged for children for the past 30 years because of Reye's Syndrome.

So, parents were encouraged to give acetaminophin instead. Now this? More studies need to be done to be sure there is a connection.

[bemildred]

2. "The major problem associated with it is liver damage caused by overdoses."

Which is why you should use something else, you only have one liver.

[localroger]

9. I know a guy who almost died from this

He was steadily declining as his doctor did $thousand$ in tests scratching his head, he asked the doc if the 6-8 tylenol he took a day were a problem and the doc said nah, that's not a problem. Finally he went to another doc and this one said STOP TAKING THE TYLENOL. Six months later he was completely healthy.

[bemildred]

10. Yah. My brother was dying of cirrohsis, sclerosing chondritis, and liver cancer.

His oncologist prescribed vicodin for pain, which has tylenol in it. It was like a recipe to hurry him along. We got him to change it to a straight opioid. It's like they don't think. The real problem is that the difference between a therapeutic dose and a dose that is bad for you is not large enough, it's too easy to get in trouble. I think they put it in opioid pain killers as a deterrent against abuse, which is why that is one of the main sources of emergency room poisoning visits. There are other less dangerous options, it ought not be used at all.

[KoKo]

3. Interesting...but could also be a competitor of Johnson & Johnson doing DisInfo...

It's common today to put out these Press Releases and credit some scientific study or the other...but Newspapers rarely list the affiliations of the people putting out the Press Release or the affiliations of the Scientists they mention.

So many of these reports have been proven "later" to be based on someone paid by another Drug Company or a Special Interest that we need to be wary of this kind of thing. My own local paper picks up all kinds of press releases from other newspaper linking from Press Releases from dubious sources that it makes me wonder if the Newspaper Business suffering from readership declines is now taking "semi-paid for" stuff from others just to retain readership with sensational headlines.

All this does is confuse Parents and folks who are taking medicines that were prescribed or are over the counter and considered safe...until they aren't.

[Blandocyte]

4. 322,959 subjects? That's a lot of power

Which means that very, very few people in the study could have shown symptoms of asthma, but because there were so many people in the study, a small effect could reach statistical significance. The results may be more relevant to theory than to practice. That is, if I remember my psych stats class info, and that is very much a long shot in itself!

[Gamey]

5. I think acetaminophen is poison anyway

[Theobald]

6. This is such bullshit

The significance of this study is close to meaningless. If you used it once per year, you were more likely to have asthma? Are they honestly suggesting that taking Tylenol once per year can cause asthma? This report relies upon self reporting of Tylenol usage and self reporting of asthma symptoms. This study might be a start for real research, but until that is done this is simple conjecture, based upon an inconclusive study.

[defendandprotect]

7. Wow --

[Hestia]

8. I guess these couple of phrases escaped the pro-acetaminophen posters

1) The new findings were reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine - generally peer reviewed & 322,959 13- and 14-year-olds in 50 countries, so these aren't just US kids, it appears to be most every climate and culture. This is not a little study. Now, move along, go back to cashing those dividend checks from medical stocks.