Acetaminophen may worsen asthma symptoms in both adults and children, a provocative new report suggests.

Yipes.

But that's not the most interesting part.

The report, which was published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday, reviewed recent studies on the medication, which is also marketed as Tylenol. Those studies suggest that the drug may exacerbate asthma in children and adults who already have the condition and could even spark new cases.

wtf?

One of the more worrisome studies McBride cites looked at 520,000 children from 122 centers in 54 countries. In a report on that data published in The Lancet in 2008, researchers found that the risk of developing asthma jumped by 60 percent in 6- to 7-year-olds who had taken acetaminophen at least once a year but less than once a month. In children who took the medication at least once a month, the risk more than tripled.

A second report using the same data was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critial Care Medicine in 2011. That report found that the risk of developing asthma jumped by 40 percent in 13- to 14-year olds who had taken acetaminophen at least once a year but less than once a month. In children of the same age group who took the medication at least once a month, the risk more than doubled. Other studies found acetaminophen associated with an increased risk of asthma in adults.

Awesome!

As a long-time asthma sufferer, I'm personally more interested in cures than causes, but I'll just assume that research into causes helps research into cures, ultimately.