Paracetamol triples asthma risk
15 July 2008

Results from a European study of people with asthma have found further support for the possible link between the use of paracetamol and the risk of developing asthma.

Dr Seif Shaheen, an Asthma UK Research Fellow, and his team from Imperial College, London, had previously noted that evidence from the UK and USA showed that frequent paracetamol use was associated with an increased risk of asthma in adults, but research from Europe remained limited.

This project therefore analysed information on paracetamol use and asthma symptoms from 521 people with asthma and 507 individuals without across 12 European research centres.

After taking account of factors such as body mass index, smoking and socio-economic status, Dr Shaheen and his team found that the risk of asthma was almost three times greater in people who used paracetamol at least once a week compared with those who used the drug less frequently.

Paracetamol was the only analgesic (painkiller) used that affected asthma risk, suggesting that the effect is specific to paracetamol and is not a feature of painkillers in general.

‘Now there is data from across the world suggesting a link between paracetamol use and an increased risk of developing asthma, we need to carry out further studies to identify whether paracetamol actually plays a role in causing the condition,’ said Leanne Male, Asthma UK’s Assistant Director of Research. ‘This is particularly important because, if proven, it could potentially enable us reduce the number of people developing asthma in a way that other causes, for example genetic factors, may not be as easy to do.’