Aspirin may reduce risk of asthma in women
Publication Date:14/03/2008
A small dose of aspirin taken every other day can reduce the chances of women getting asthma, according to a large new study. But more research is needed before aspirin might be recommended to reduce the risk of asthma. Aspirin can have side effects, and this medicine shouldn't be given to children under 16 years old.
What do we know already?
Asthma is a condition that causes wheezing, chest tightness and breathing problems. It happens when the tubes in the lungs get narrower, usually as a result of an allergic reaction. Asthma is becoming more common. Although it often starts in childhood, asthma can start at any age.
Scientists have many theories about why more people are getting asthma. Some think it's because more people are overweight, and others think that our diet to is to blame. Another theory is that we're exposed to fewer germs than we used to be, and this makes us overreact to harmless things like pollen or dust. Or the rise in asthma could simply be due to the fact that doctors are better at diagnosing it.
Scientists have also noticed that the rise in asthma among children coincided with advice to parents not to give aspirin to children under 16 years old. This is because aspirin can, very rarely, lead to a condition called Reye's syndrome, which can cause serious liver and brain problems. Scientists think there might be a connection, and that aspirin may previously have offered children some protection from getting asthma.
But the link between aspirin and asthma is confusing, because we also know that aspirin can make symptoms worse in up to 1 in 10 people who have asthma.
Previous research in male doctors found that aspirin cut the risks of getting asthma by just over a fifth (22 percent). Now, a very large study, called the Women's Health Study, has looked at the risks and benefits of low-dose aspirin in women over 45.
What does the new study say?
The study found that women who took a low dose of aspirin every other day were a little less likely to be diagnosed with asthma over the next 10 years than women who took a dummy tablet (a placebo).
Overall, there were slightly fewer new cases of asthma among the women taking aspirin. Out of 18,652 women who took aspirin, 872 (4.7 percent) were diagnosed with asthma. Among 18,618 who took a placebo, 963 (5.2 percent) got asthma.
Tell me more about the study's findings
In the study almost 40,000 women took either 100 milligrams of aspirin every other day, or a placebo. The women were all aged 45 and above, and had no serious illness, allergy or asthma at the start of the study. Their health was monitored for 10 years.
The researchers found that aspirin still had a protective effect against asthma no matter what the woman's age, whether she had been through the menopause, how much exercise she did, or whether she smoked. All these are factors that might influence whether a woman gets asthma.
But aspirin did not reduce the risk of asthma in women who were classified as very overweight (obese).
Where does the study come from?
The study was done by researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. It was published in a medical journal called Thorax.
How reliable are the findings?
This is a very good study. It was large and followed women for ten years. But the study relied on the women to report whether they had asthma. The researchers did not go to their doctors to confirm the diagnosis, and so some of the women may have thought they had asthma, when they had another similar condition.
The study did not report whether women got side effects from taking low doses of aspirin. But we know that aspirin can have side effects if it's taken for a long time. These may include bleeding, an upset stomach and stomach ulcers.
What does this mean for me?
This study suggests that taking a low dose of aspirin can slightly reduce the risk of women getting asthma later in life. The researchers think that aspirin may protect against asthma by stopping the immune system, especially in the lungs, from overreacting to certain substances. It may also help to reduce swelling in the lungs, which is one of the things that causes asthma symptoms.
But before aspirin can be recommended as a safe way to reduce the risk of asthma, more studies need to be done.
What should I do now?
For the time being, there's nothing you should do. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, and to weigh up the risks and benefits of taking regular aspirin.
Aspirin can have side effects and it may react with other medicines. Also, it is not suitable for everyone. And, in 1 in 10 people with asthma, aspirin and some other painkillers (such as ibuprofen) can make symptoms worse.
From:
Kurth T, Barr RG, Gaziano JM, et al. Randomised aspirin assignment and risk of adult-onset asthma in the Women's Health Study. Thorax. (Published online 13 March 2008)
To learn more see our information on asthma in adults.
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This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
