Chapter 108: Henry (4)

“Aspirin?”

“Yes, aspirin. There are numerous positive research papers about it, including some funded by Pfizer.”

“That is…indeed true.”

As of yet, aspirin wasn’t widely used in South Korea. In fact, it could be said that aspirin had almost disappeared from half the market for fever and painkillers. This was due to Reye’s syndrome occurring in pediatric patients as well as its significantly higher gastrointestinal side effects compared to other analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs.

However, preventive use of aspirin was quite common in the United States.

“It’s known to prevent strokes and cardiovascular diseases.”

Well, even our… Professor Lee Hyunjong consumes it frequently.

“Not ‘consumes’ but takes care to regularly take it. It’s not like he’s eating pills with every meal.”

‘Well, it is said.’

Of course, as Henry mentioned, there were numerous proven positive effects of aspirin. Otherwise, why would Lee Hyunjong, the research paper fiend, be so obsessed with it? There was even a recent report indicating that aspirin could reduce cancer rates to some extent.

However, due to brain hemorrhages being more common than strokes among Asians, further studies were needed for this population. This, along with other reasons, meant that the widespread adoption of aspirin remained distant.

“I have…been taking these for quite some time now. Since I reduced the dosage, I haven’t experienced any gastrointestinal issues.”

While Suhyuk and Baruda conversed, Henry brought over various bottles from the table, including aspirin containers.

“I also take mega doses of Vitamin C.”

It seemed he was a firm believer in its benefits.

[Well… There have been many recent positive reports about vitamins.]

In the past, numerous research papers had claimed that consuming vitamins was mostly ineffective. Some argued that individuals who could afford supplements already received sufficient nutrients from their meals.

Regardless, while some medical professionals advocated for vitamins, overall, there was skepticism within the medical community. However, recent studies reported positive effects of high-dose vitamin intake in terms of antioxidant and anti-aging properties.

‘Honestly, nutrition-related research… tends to be unreliable due to its inconsistency.’

“Indeed. We don’t know what else this human might be consuming.”

Henry wasn’t a prisoner; researchers couldn’t control his diet completely. Naturally, errors were bound to occur. This was also why various diets like low-carb or emperor-style diets emerged and faded away rapidly. It could be said that conducting accurate research on dietary habits was currently impossible.

“If you study vitamins, Dr. Belzer, you’ll realize their immense benefits. I rarely catch colds now. And aspirin is another game-changer. I firmly believe these will increase humanity’s lifespan.”

Regardless of Sungyoon’s response, Henry continued to extol the virtues of vitamins and aspirin.

Due to Baruda’s influence, Suhyuk prioritized quality over quantity, making it difficult for him to listen further. Theoretically, he agreed that there would be some positive effects. However, not all research papers could be trusted outright. Anyone who had written at least one academic paper understood this sentiment well. Just like documentaries, subjective biases could easily seep into research findings.

[Wait… does that mean this human has been taking aspirin for several decades?]

‘Based on what I heard, yes… It seems close to about… 30 years.’

[Aspirin is undoubtedly a good medication, but… there can still be potential side effects.]

‘It is possible, but if he has been taking it for thirty years… It means there are no acute side effects anymore. Regarding his health… Hmm?’

Suhyuk suddenly paused while discussing potential side effects.

Henry had no idea that Suhyuk was conversing with Baruda. He assumed Suhyuk was questioning Henry’s opinion.

“Why do you ask?”

“No… Aspirin… You’ve been continuously taking it, right?”

“Yes. Isn’t aspirin great? It’s also inexpensive. Even though I work at a pharmaceutical company… wouldn’t it be wonderful to create such a drug? It would truly contribute to humanity.”

Observing Henry, who seemed almost obsessed with aspirin, Suhyuk quietly shook his head. Then, he recalled the specific side effect that had crossed his mind earlier.

He recalled one side effect that was extremely rare and mostly temporary.

‘Doesn’t aspirin cause tinnitus as a side effect?’

[Hm? Ah, yes… It causes tinnitus without damaging hearing, which normalizes immediately after discontinuing the drug… Huh?]

‘Yes. However, this fellow keeps taking it. From what I can see, he is consuming more than the typical preventive dosage.’

[Tsk… You’re right. This information wasn’t present in older pharmacopeias.]

‘It’s relatively recently discovered.’

[Since it’s not a severe side effect.]

‘But it could definitely be the cause.’

[Let me talk to him about it. There might be some resistance initially, but showing him the research paper should convince him. After all, he’s a scientist.]

Currently, Henry’s praise of aspirin was based on his subjective experience, which constituted only a small part of the overall evidence. Most of his arguments were grounded in references mentioned in various research papers. This demonstrated that he approached matters with evidence-based reasoning as a scientist.

Despite feeling somewhat intimidated to challenge the opinion of this intimidating figure before him, Suhyuk mustered up the courage. After all, it wasn’t like anyone would physically retaliate against someone with mobility issues, right? He had never encountered such a person thus far.

“Excuse me, Curator Henry.”

“Yes?”

“It’s about the tinnitus…”

“Haven’t we discussed this already? There’s no cure for it, and frankly, we don’t even know the exact cause.” Henry’s tone turned brusque as soon as tinnitus was mentioned.

Henry was afflicted with tinnitus, causing him to constantly hear a grating sound like tearing paper. He knew his subordinates whispered about it behind his back. However, he never addressed it because he didn’t want to reveal this weakness. Mentioning this vulnerability made Suhyuk appear less favorable to Henry. Of course, everything would change if Suhyuk could actually cure the condition.

“No, I think I have found the cause. While there is a high possibility that my suspicion might be incorrect, I do have some circumstantial evidence.”

“The…cause? Look at this, Dr. Belzer. I am the curator here. Honestly, my ability to search for research papers surpasses most doctors. You can consider me professor-level when it comes to knowledge of tinnitus. Yet despite all that, you claim to have found the cause…that seems highly unlikely.”

Henry was tempted to quit due to Suhyuk’s response.

[I am curious about your reaction when it is truly cured.]

‘Indeed. Won’t you shed tears?’

However, unlike Suhyuk or Baruda, Henry wasn’t inherently good-hearted. He had some twisted aspects within him.

“You might find something if we approach it from a different perspective.”

“Hah…”

“Let’s hear what I have to say first. It will be valuable.”

“Hmph.” Henry sighed and snorted derisively. His mind filled with thoughts of this impudent young doctor from the East.

Yet, his tinnitus caused immense discomfort.

However, there was one thought lurking at the back of his mind:

Could it be…?

Considering he had nothing to lose, Henry nodded.

“All right. Let’s hear you out.”

Upon hearing this, Suhyuk grabbed the aspirin bottle sitting on the table.

“The cause is this aspirin.”

“Aspirin…?”

“Yes. Recently… It was reported just two months ago, so it hasn’t been included in any pharmacology textbooks yet.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“There have been reports stating that aspirin can lead to short-term tinnitus. To be precise, it’s been noted that tinnitus can occur while taking aspirin.”

“Aspirin…causes tinnitus?”

Henry had read numerous papers about tinnitus as he mentioned earlier. The occurrence, causes, and current treatments were among his research topics. However, he never suspected aspirin once. For someone who specialized in heart disease research, aspirin was akin to a miracle drug. To think it could cause tinnitus felt like a hammer blow to him.

“Look at his jaw dropping.”

‘His expression is priceless.’

“This is my favorite part.”

‘Mine too.’

Suhyuk and Baruda engaged in this somewhat mischievous conversation while observing Henry’s reaction.

“Yes, please take a look.” Suhyuk then showed them the results of a research paper he found on his phone.

The paper hadn’t been published in print yet; it was still in its e-publication phase. It was surprising that a resident would be up-to-date with such recent findings.

However, Henry didn’t think about this fact at all. He was engrossed in reading the research paper Suhyuk had shown him.

“This… It mentions multiple cases of tinnitus…”

He seemed quite surprised, and it was understandable. The paper discussed a new side effect related to a widely used medication. Moreover, it wasn’t just a single case report; it was a comprehensive review compiling numerous previously published case reports. This indicated that there were already instances where tinnitus had occurred due to aspirin use.

‘But what’s remarkable is… he suspected it.’

“Indeed. Suspecting aspirin as the cause shows great insight. The researcher is very clever. When will our Suhyuk reach such heights…?”

‘Wait, why are we drifting towards that topic again?’

“Research isn’t something easily accomplished.”

‘A resident doing research? Writing clinical papers is enough. He already published in the New England Journal of Medicine.’

[Eh… Honestly, Professor Lee Hyunjong gave me the idea…]

While they were arguing with their souls on the line, Henry read through the long research paper. Reading other people’s papers was one of the main tasks for researchers. There was something to learn from them, but the most important reason was to check if someone else had published what I was currently researching first. In any case, as Henry belonged to this category, he read at an impressive speed.

“It can’t be… This… This might truly be the cause.” Henry’s assessment after reading the paper was brief, yet it conveyed his deep impression.

Firstly, his gaze towards Suhyuk had completely changed.

“D-Dr. Lee. This academic journal…”

“The SCI score isn’t that high. However, it is the highest-ranked journal for audiology.”

“Then it must be reliable.”

“Yes. The research was conducted by multiple institutions, including Taehwa Medical Center.”

In fact, Taehwa Medical Center played a major role. It might seem surprising to see such a research paper from South Korea, where aspirin-related studies were scarce. However, upon closer examination, it made sense.

While aspirin was widely used in the United States, in South Korea, it was primarily prescribed after heart attacks or other related conditions occurred. Consequently, both doctors and patients could accurately track when and how much of the drug was administered. This precision greatly aided in identifying potential side effects caused by aspirin consumption.

After hearing this explanation, Henry was almost ready to kneel before Suhyuk.

“Really… If my tinnitus is cured by taking this medicine, I will never…never forget your kindness.”

A typical doctor would dismiss his gratitude at this point, but…

[What do you want?]

‘Want?! As a doctor, treating patients is natural.’

[Ah… You have something you desire. Have you forgotten? I can sense everything related to Suhyuk.]

‘Damn it. Yes, there is something I want.’

Suhyuk had Baruda. Somehow, he had become greedy for Baruda.