Aspirin may reduce harms of air pollution on lungs: Study

nsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Aspirin may lessen adverse effects of air pollution exposure on lung function, a study claims. Researchers from Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and Harvard Chan School of Public Health in US have analysed a subset of data collected from a cohort of 2,280 males from greater Boston area who were given tests to determine ir lung function. aver of participants in study, published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, was 73 years.

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Lung function tests include a variety of tests that check how well lungs work. researchers examined relationship between test results, self-reported NSAID use, and ambient particulate matter (PM) and black carbon in month preceding test, while accounting for a variety of factors, including health status of subject and wher or t y were smokers.

y found that use of any NSAID nearly halved effect of PM on lung function, with association consistent across all four weekly air pollution measurements from same-day to 28 days prior to lung function test. Since most of people in study who took NSAIDs used Aspirin, researchers said that modifying effect y observed was mainly from drug. However, y added that effects of n-Aspirin NSAIDs are worthy of furr exploration. While mechanism is unkwn, researchers, including those from Boston University School of Medicine in US, speculate that NSAIDs mitigate inflammation brought about by air pollution.

"Our findings suggest that Aaspirin and or NSAIDs may protect lungs from short-term spikes in air pollution," said Xu Gao, a post-doctoral research scientist at Columbia Mailman School.

"Of course, it is still important to minimise our exposure to air pollution, which is linked to a host of adverse health effects, from cancer to cardiovascular disease," Gao said. An earlier study by researchers found that Vitamin B may also play a role in reducing health impact of air pollution.

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