Does Acetaminophen Cause Asthma?

The Beasley study, in which parents are asked to recall their use of acetaminophen after the fact, cannot prove acetaminophen causes asthma.

However, Beasley and colleagues note that there are several reasons to suspect this is so:

• The link between acetaminophen and asthma is strong.
• The more acetaminophen a child uses, the higher that child's risk of severe asthma.
• Acetaminophen is linked to asthma in many different cultures with different medical practices.
• Acetaminophen use came before asthma symptoms appeared.
• Asthma prevalence shot up in the same years acetaminophen use became widespread.

In an editorial accompanying the study, Columbia University researcher R. Graham Barr, MD, DrPH, agrees with Beasley that while the study does not prove acetaminophen causes asthma, a clinical study is urgently needed.