Asthma in Women Is Greater with Acetaminophen Use

Women who take acetaminophen may be at an increased risk for asthma. To determine the effect of acetaminophen on asthma risk, the researchers reviewed data from the long-running Nurses' Health Study. Although that study has been tracking >120,000 women since it began in 1976, the participants were not asked until 1990 about their use of acetaminophen.

During follow-up, 346 women were diagnosed with asthma, noted the researchers in the April 1, 2004, issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The researchers found that, as acetaminophen use rose, so did the risk for asthma.Women who took acetaminophen on >14 days per month were 63% more apt to develop asthma, compared with nonusers.