Aug 25 2008
Enthusiasm for Aspirin
Gastrointestinal bleeding caused by medication is a serious medical problem today. Though many medications can be implicated, the majority of such problems come from medicines used for arthritis and pain. These include a class of medications called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS. Names may vary from one country to another.
Aspirin is present in many over-the-counter medications, and in many countries the daily use of aspirin by individuals has increased in recent years. Why?
In 1995 the Harvard Health Letter reported that “routine aspirin use saves lives.” Citing several worldwide studies, which have been repeated many times since then, researchers concluded: “Nearly everyone who has ever had a heart attack or stroke, suffers from angina, or has undergone coronary artery bypass surgery should take one-half to one aspirin tablet daily unless they are allergic to the drug.”
Other researchers claim benefits of taking aspirin daily for men over 50 who are at risk for a heart attack and for women at risk as well. Furthermore, there are studies indicating that daily aspirin may reduce the risk of colon cancer and that large doses over a long period can help lower blood-sugar levels in diabetics.
How does aspirin work to provide these proposed benefits? Though all is not known, evidence indicates that aspirin acts to make platelets in the blood less sticky, thus interfering with the formation of blood clots. Presumably, this helps to prevent blockage of small arteries to the heart and brain, in this way preventing damage to vital organs.
With all these presumed benefits of aspirin, why doesn’t everyone take it? For one thing, there is still much that is not known. Even the ideal dosage is unclear. Recommendations range from one standard tablet twice daily to as little as one baby aspirin every other day. Should the dosage for women be different from that for men? Doctors are not sure. While enteric-coated aspirin may be considered somewhat helpful, the advantage of buffered aspirin is still controversial.
