A study is underway in the United Kingdom that could revolutionize the treatment of heart disease. Even though a small daily tablet of aspirin has been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, millions don't take it because of aspirin's long-term association with an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Instead of taking the cheap, over-the-counter pill, they're often prescribed expensive treatments that are frequently less effective.
But some scientists believe that aspirin, which was thought to irritate the stomach and cause ulcers, has been unfairly blamed for the bleeding. They believe the real cause is a common stomach bug — helicobacter pylori bacterium (H. pylori) — the same bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. The aspirin, they contend, only aggravates the problems caused by H. pylori.
Statistics show that one in four people are infected with H. pylori at some time during their lives, even though it often causes no symptoms. However, about three in 20 people who are infected with the bacteria will eventually develop a peptic ulcer.
Researchers from Nottingham University believe that by treating people who have the bacteria with antibiotics, more people would be able to take aspirin, which studies show lowers the risk of many medical problems including cancer.
One study at Nottingham found that 60 percent of people who took low-dose aspirin (81 mg) and were diagnosed with internal bleeding tested positive for H. pylori. The researchers theorize that the ulcer is caused by H. pylori and aspirin, which thins the blood and makes the ulcer bleed. If the bacteria is eliminated, the patient won't get an ulcer, and aspirin won't increase the risk of bleeding, the researchers theorize.
Currently, a new study called the Helicobacter Eradication Aspirin Trial is getting underway at five British universities. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will begin in March and will include 40,000 Brits more than 60 years old.
Patients who take less than 325 mg of aspirin daily (325 mg is a regular-sized aspirin) will first be tested for H. pylori. Those who test positive will be given an intensive one-week course of antibiotics authorized for H. pylori eradication (treatment will include 30 mg of lansoprazole, 500 mg of clarithromycin, and 400 mg of metronidazoleor — all given twice a day) or placebo tablets that look identical to the antibiotics.
Studies have shown that aspirin is an effective medicine for many conditions. They include:
• Heart attack. The National Heart Foundation reported a study stating that a daily low-dose aspirin lowered the risk of a nonfatal heart attack by 26 percent. Studies have shown that regular use of aspirin by those who have already suffered a heart attack lowers the risk of having a second heart attack, and may even lower the risk of a first heart attack in those patients at high risk. Most experts recommend a baby or low-dose aspirin (81 mg) daily. During an acute heart attack, chewing two full-strength (325 mg) tablets can help you survive long enough to get to the emergency room.
• Tension headaches. Aspirin eases pain in up to 75 percent of people with tension headaches. Patient.co.uk states that some trials suggest that full-dose aspirin is the most effective drug for relieving tension headaches.
• Migraine headaches. One British study of high-dose aspirin found it was effective in relieving both pain and nausea in more than half of those suffering an acute migraine. "Aspirin 900 mg or 1,000 mg is an effective treatment for acute migraine headaches, with participants in these studies experiencing reduction in both pain and associated symptoms, such as nausea and photophobia," Henry J. McQuay, DM, of the University of Oxford in England, and co-authors said in a statement. Some studies have shown aspirin is as effective as the prescription painkiller Imitrex, which is prescribed to treat migraines.
• Arthritis. For many years aspirin was the "gold standard" for relieving the symptoms of arthritis, and according to the University of Iowa Health Care, it's still the standard by which all other pain relievers are measured. Aspirin in high doses is often used round-the-clock to reduce the redness, swelling, and pain of arthritis. Aspirin in lower doses (one or two 325 mg tablets) combats muscle pulls and other minor ailments.
• Alzheimer's disease. Studies have found that a daily low-dose aspirin can slow and even prevent the onset of dementia, including Alzheimer's. A study of more than 3,000 people in Utah found that people who took aspirin, Advil, or Ibuprofen four times a week for longer than two years, reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer's by 45 percent. Experts theorize that Alzheimer's is caused by inflammation, which aspirin fights. The other theory is that aspirin's anti-inflammatory characteristics keep memory-destroying amyloid plaques from forming.
• Stroke. A study reported by the National Heart Foundation found those who took aspirin had a 25 percent reduction in risk of stroke and a 13 percent reduction in the risk of death compared to patients who didn't take aspirin. Aspirin may prevent ischemic (clot-related) strokes by slightly thinning blood. It interferes with the production of prothrombin, which is necessary for blood clots to form.
• Colon cancer. An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients who used aspirin after being diagnosed with colon cancer had a 29 percent lower risk of dying than those who didn't use aspirin. In addition, those who began taking aspirin after a diagnosis of colon cancer reduced their risk from death by colorectal cancer 47 percent. A British study found that aspirin reduced the risk of colon cancer by 24 percent and the risk of dying from the disease by 35 percent. A new study found that people with Lynch syndrome, a genetic disorder that raises the risk of colon and uterine cancers, cut their risk in half. Researchers believe aspirin may control cancer cells by fighting inflammation.
• Prostate cancer. Aspirin may stop a recurrence of prostate cancer. A study from the University of Chicago found that anti-clotting medication, such as aspirin, lowered the chances of prostate cancer returning by 46 percent, and the anti-cancer benefit was more pronounced in those men who took aspirin.
• Breast cancer. Researchers found that women who took aspirin lowered their risk of dying from breast cancer by 50 percent and also cut their risk of recurrence by half. "Taking aspirin may become another simple, low-cost and relatively safe tool to help women with breast cancer live longer, healthier lives," said study leader Dr. Michelle Holmes of Harvard Medical School.
• Prostate cancer. Patients suffering from prostate cancer who had been treated with either surgery or radiation and who took anticoagulant drugs such as aspirin, dramatically lowered their risk of dying from their disease. After 10 years, those men who took anticoagulants had a 4 percent risk of dying compared to 10 percent for men who didn't take the drugs.
• Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Harvard researchers found that women who took low-dose aspirin to safeguard their hearts, also reduced their risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that destroys the central vision, by 18 percent.
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