Aspirin can reduce side effects of air pollution
Study finds that using drug lessens side effects of pollution on lungs by 50 per cent
Taking an aspirin may reduce the adverse effects of air pollution on your body, states a new study.
Researchers from the university of Columbia, Harvard and Boston analyzed the lungs of over 2,000 participants, and the effects the anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) has on them.
The study titled “Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Modify the Effect of Short-Term Air Pollution on Lung Function”, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that after using the drug the side effects of pollution on a person’s lung were lessened by 50 per cent.
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The particulate matter (PM), which is a mix of solid and liquid particles suspended in air that are hazardous to a person, come from a range of sources such as vehicles, coal-fired power plants and burning of fossil fuels.
"Our findings suggest that aspirin and other NSAIDs may protect the lungs from short-term spikes in air pollution," stated first and corresponding author Xu Gao, PhD, a post-doctoral research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Columbia Mailman School, in a press release.
"Of course, it is still important to minimize our exposure to air pollution, which is linked to a host of adverse health effects, from cancer to cardiovascular disease."
An earlier study by the group found that vitamins B may also play a role in reducing the health impact of air pollution.