Can Aspirin Prevent Asthma?

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Kurth said the researchers weren't able to study the reasons why aspirin might have this preventive effect against asthma, but theorized that aspirin's anti-inflammatory effects might play a role.

He did caution, however, that for some people who already have asthma, aspirin can be an irritant that can actually trigger asthma symptoms.

"This is a complex issue and is more of a study for the research community," said Kurth. The question for researchers now, he said, is "for those at risk of getting asthma, should they be treated with aspirin or not?"

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Dr. Rick Vinuya, an allergist and immunologist at Providence Hospital and Medical Center in Southfield, Mich., echoed Kurth's comments.

"Any time you have an intervention to prevent the onset of disease, it's exciting, and a 22 percent reduction in risk is huge. But, that excitement is tempered because this is not a cause-and-effect study, but an epidemiological one. This study needs to be followed up with a study specifically designed to answer whether aspirin really does have an affect and how does it work?"

Right now, Vinuya said, no one should start taking aspirin to prevent asthma. "This study adds on to the beneficial effects of aspirin. It's a healthy practice to take aspirin to prevent heart attacks and now it looks as if a secondary benefit is a possible decrease in the development of asthma. But, asthma prevention can't be the primary reason for taking daily aspirin," he said.

More information

To learn more about aspirin's role in heart attack and stroke prevention, visit the American Heart Association.

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