NEWSBRIEF - Tylenol consumption linked to asthma.
Researchers at Kings College in London, England have discovered a correlation between the consumption of Tylenol (acetaminophen, paracetamol) and the incidence of allergic diseases. They compared acetaminophen sales in 36 countries with the incidence of asthma, rhinitis, wheeze, and other allergic diseases and concluded that countries with higher sales of acetaminophen (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the USA, and the UK) had a greater prevalence of these diseases. The researchers believe that acetaminophen reduces glutathione levels and thereby impairs antioxidant defenses and promotes allergic inflammation. They caution that further studies are needed to confirm the connection.
British Medical Journal, November 11, 2000, p. 1178