Fever drugs increase the risk of death from influenza

Antipyretic drugs lead to more surviving viruses in flu

01/22/2014

Antipyretic drugs may increase seasonal flu waves. The researchers report in the „Proceedings B“ the British Royal Society. About five percent more infections and thousands of deaths are therefore caused every year by the drugs. The funds used to reduce fever meant that more influenza viruses survived and contact with sick people was prolonged, as patients returned to work more quickly, the researchers report.

Antipyretic flu medications have undesirable side effects
Canadian mathematicians around David Earn of McMaster University in Hamilton evaluated the data from previous flu waves for their analysis and also included the results of various medical studies on the flu in the calculation. The basis of their investigation was the assumption that the antipyretic substances contained in many flu medicines also have undesirable side effects. According to researchers, this means that the remedies reduce the natural function of the fever, which normally slows down the growth of viruses and bacteria and activates the immune system. In addition, the use of many flu remedies helps to alleviate the symptoms so that the sufferer returns to work sooner and generally to the public.

„Fever can actually help reduce the number of viruses in a patient's body and the likelihood of transmitting the disease to others. Taking medicines that lower the fever, on the other hand, can increase disease transmission, "Earn explained „CBC Hamilton“. The flu viruses then survive longer and can spread over a longer period in the population, which amplifies the epidemic.

Influenza avoid contact with other people
Researchers calculated that ingesting flu medicines with antipyretic substances causes five percent more patients annually and more than one thousand more deaths in North America alone. As Earn tell us his team, the statistics are still inaccurate, but may give them even a minimum value. Further studies are needed to get more accurate results.

However, important conclusions can already be drawn from the analysis and recommendations for patients can be derived. „What we can add to the current set of recommendations is that you should be extra careful, "said Ben Bolker, Professor of Biology and Mathematics „CBC Hamilton“. „If you want to contribute to reducing the number of illnesses and deaths, you should (in the case of an existing flu illness, editor's note) avoid contact with others. "(Ag)