"Tylenol is used by millions for pain relief. You're unlikely to open a medicine cabinet in the U.S. without seeing a bottle of Tylenol, the brand name of a pain reliever and fever reducer also sold generically as acetaminophen. A health care trade association estimates that 52 million consumers use a product containing acetaminophen every week in the U.S. The drug is in the news today"
"His statements run counter to the most conclusive scientific evidence to date. The drug is safe and effective when used as directed, but there is something surprising about it: no one is certain how acetaminophen works to relieve pain and fever. There are at least two theories about the mechanism of the drug, which was first synthesized in the late 1800s. One is that the medication works by interfering with cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, which ultimately lead to the formation of prostaglandins,"
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is widely used for pain relief and fever reduction, with about 52 million U.S. consumers using it weekly. The medication is considered safe and effective when taken as directed. Some public claims have linked prenatal acetaminophen use to autism, but the most conclusive scientific evidence does not support such a link. The biological mechanism behind acetaminophen's pain- and fever-reducing effects remains uncertain. One leading explanation proposes that the drug indirectly inhibits prostaglandin production by affecting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. Researchers maintain at least one additional theory and continue investigating how the drug exerts its effects.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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