Acetaminophen May Curb Artery Hardening.

• Position: Brief Article

Research from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex., suggests the pain reliever acetaminophen could help protect against atherosclerosis, the life-threatening condition that is commonly referred to as hardening of the arteries. The compound may exert an anti-atherosclerotic effect when administered to animals in doses therapeutically relevant to man, according to lead investigator Addison A. Taylor, professor of medicine and pharmacology and chief. Division of Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacology.

"[In 1998], we reported findings in healthy human volunteers indicating acetaminophen may have a potential antioxidant effect. We documented an association between the use of acetaminophen at recommended doses and a significant inhibition of the oxidation of certain low-density lipoprotein (LDL) components, which carry the form of cholesterol commonly described as `bad cholesterol.'"

Encouraged by their findings, Taylor and his colleagues...