Aspirin: The Old Wonder Drug

In the last few years new drug research has produced many expensive "wonder" drugs for treating disease. While many have been very helpful, some have also been found to be either disappointing or at the least no more effective than their older and less expensive counterparts. There is also one "old" drug that is proving to be a true wonder drug, and all for pennies a day.

The humble aspirin tablet has become much more than a pain and fever reliever. This drug, well over 100 years old has found new life with studies that show it's effectiveness in preventing heart disease and now colon cancer.

Aspirin works to reduce pain and inflammation by inhibiting the production of a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin. Prostaglandin is one of the substances produced that causes pain response to injury or inflammation. Aspirin also prevents blood clots by blocking a substance that causes platelets to clump together in clots. Taking too much aspirin can cause dangerous bleeding.

Aspirin Reduces Risk of Colon Cancer
A study led by Dartmouth medical researchers shows a daily dose of aspirin can be effective in reducing the risk of colon adenomas (polyps) - benign tumors that can develop into cancer if left in the bowel. The patients in the seven-year study were all patients who had previously had benign polyps that were removed. The study participants who were given a daily dose of 81 mg of Aspirin (equivalent to a baby aspirin) showed a much lower rate of recurrence of polyps along with a lowered risk of more serious cancerous lesions of the bowel.

Aspirin for Cardiovascular Disease
The FDA has developed guidelines for physicians in prescribing aspirin for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The guidelines recommend 50 to 325 milligrams once daily for the following conditions:

• stroke in those who have had a previous stroke or who have had a warning sign called a transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke)
• heart attack in those who have had a previous heart attack or experience angina (chest pain)
• death or complications from a heart attack if the drug is taken at the first signs of a heart attack
• recurrent blockage for those who have had heart bypass surgery or other procedures to clear blocked arteries, such as balloon angioplasty or carotid endarterectomy.

Aspirin is not without risks and should never be used without the guidance of your doctor. If you are using Aspirin under the directions of a doctor and experience bleeding or excessive bruising you should immediately contact your doctor.

SOURCES: An Aspirin A Day May Keep Colon Cancer Away, Dartmouth Researchers Find Dartmouth Medical School News, March 5, 2003.