Barbara Klein of the University of Wisconsin led the study. She and her team found that people who regularly took aspirin for 10 years or more had a small increase in the risk of advanced or “late” AMD. "Regularly" meant at least twice a week for more than three months. In a separate study, Australian researchers found that people who take aspirin regularly for many years are more likely to develop neovascular AMD.

This study involved nearly 2,400 adults. Almost 11 percent of them identified themselves as regular aspirin users. Eye tests were performed after five, 10 and 15 years. The researchers found that aspirin takers had twice the risk of neovascular, or “wet,” AMD in comparison to non-regular aspirin users. The findings were reported in December 2012 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

American researchers found a link between hearing loss in women and their use of ibuprofen or acetaminophen. The researchers studied information about more than 62,000 women between 31 and 48 years of age. The researchers examined how often the women reported using aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen. The information covered the period from 1995 to 2009. Just over 10,000 women reported some hearing loss.

The study was the work of researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts. Lead researcher Sharon Curhan noted that NSAIDS may reduce blood flow to the cochlea, the hearing organ, and affect its ability. She noted that while such medicines can be purchased without a doctor’s order, they still carry possible side effects.