An Aspirin a Day May Not Keep the Doctor Away
New research suggests that regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and other analgesics can substantially increase the risk of hearing loss, especially in men younger than 50.
Researchers report in the American Journal of Medicine that use of acetaminophen more than twice a week by such men doubles the risk of hearing loss, use of ibuprofen and related non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk by nearly two-thirds, and regular use of aspirin increases it by about a third.
Studies in animals and anecdotal reports in humans indicate high doses of the analgesics can interfere with hearing, but there have been few studies looking at regular use and none studying acetaminophen (one brand name is Tylenol), according to the authors.
Dr. Sharon G. Curhan of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and her colleagues studied 26,917 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Their ages ranged from 40 to 75 at enrollment in 1986. Every two years, the men filled out questionnaires about their use of various drugs, as well as other lifestyle factors.
Controlling for a variety of other risk factors, the researchers found that among all men who used aspirin at least twice a week there was a 12% increased risk of hearing loss. Among those who used ibuprofen and related analgesics, there was a 21% increase; for those who used acetaminophen, a 22% risk. But the risk was much higher when they considered only men younger than 50. In that group, there was a 33% increased risk for aspirin use, a 61% increase for ibuprofen and related NSAIDs, and a 99% increase for acetaminophen.
It is not recognized that many drugs are ototoxic, meaning they could contribute to hearing loss. To learn more about ototoxic drugs visit the Better Hearing Institute web page on ototoxic drugs.
Mar 15, 2010 at 2:01 PM I am curious about the dosages. So many people take the 81mg aspirin one/day and assume that it is benign. However, I personally noticed an increase in my chronic tinnitus, and so I stopped using it, and sure enuf the tinnitus subsided some. So I wonder if low dose aspirin can have accumulating effects, and if our patients (and their docs) should be cautioned.
Mar 16, 2010 at 8:10 AM Sharon that is a good question. I think the people that are taking a couple a day are most at risk according the research. I do not doubt that your tinnitus was mitigated when you stopped taking the aspirin. As far as cumulative effects like NOISE I suspect yes.
Interesting that the pharmaceutical industry came out with a report on ABC blasting the research as scientific. The study looked pretty good to me.
Jan 11, 2012 at 8:05 AM Hi,
Harmful to use of aspirin for healthy people.
A recent study which published in Journal of published in "Archives of Internal Medicine",emphasized the harmful effects of aspirin.
Aspirin increase the chance of internal bleeding, including bleeds on the brain.
They said that while there was a 20% reduction in non-fatal heart attacks in people taking aspirin, there was no reduction in deaths from heart attack, stroke or cancer. The risk of potentially life threatening internal bleeding increased by 30%. (Source: Routine aspirin 'may cause harm'- By James Gallagher Health reporter, BBC News- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16468337 )
Daily use of low-dose aspirin can lower the risk of developing colon cancer and the risk of dying from it (Source: Low-Dose Aspirin May Lower Colon Cancer Risk by Eleni Berger - http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/news/News/low-dose-aspirin-lowers-colon-cancer-risk)
People without symptomatic cardiovascular disease should not use aspirin.
Murat
www.kulakburunbogaz.info