Posts Tagged "Aspirin"

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, in a draft statement, is recommending low-dose aspirin to prevent both cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer in adults aged 50 to 59 years who have a 10-year CVD risk of 10% or greater (grade B recommendation). Patients aged 60 to 69 should talk to their clinicians about whether the benefits of daily aspirin outweigh the risks (grade C).

Patients using aspirin as a preventive must have a life expectancy of at least 10 years and be willing to take it daily for that length of time. The USPSTF notes that patients at increased risk for bleeding shouldn’t use daily aspirin.

The task force says there is insufficient evidence to make a similar recommendation for adults younger than 50 years or older than 70 years (both grade I statements).  The task force previously published separate recommendations on aspirin use for preventing CVD (2009) and colorectal cancer (2007); this is the first update to address the combined benefit.

Source: Journal Watch

A study at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has shown that women who take aspirin daily may reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by 20%. Prior research has suggested that the anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin and non-aspirin NSAIDs may reduce overall risk of cancer, but studies specific to ovarian cancer have been inconclusive. This is the largest study to date on risk reduction in ovarian cancer and these medications. Britton Trabert, PhD, and Nicolas Wentzensen, MD, PhD, and their colleagues from NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics examined data from 12 large epidemiological studies (9 from the US) of nearly 8,000 women with ovarian cancer and close to 12,000 women without ovarian cancer. Eighteen percent reported that they used aspirin, 24% used non-aspirin NSAIDs, and 16% used acetaminophen. Daily aspirin users had a 20% lower risk of ovarian cancer compared to those who took it less than once a week. Women who reported using NSAIDs at least once a week showed a reduction in risk that was not statistically significant, and acetaminophen was not associated with a reduction in ovarian cancer risk.

Source: MPR

Next time you feel the flu coming on, think twice before reaching for painkillers: they could do more harm than good. With the flu season underway, millions will be taking flu remedies, which commonly include painkillers. The general medical advice is to take painkillers such as acetaminophen or aspirin. But although such drugs can make you feel better, they also lower fever, which can make the virus itself worse. According to an analysis published last week, painkillers taken to treat fevers could cause 2,000 flu deaths each year in the United States alone. Fever is thought to be an antiviral weapon, because many viruses find it hard to replicate at temperatures above the body’s 98.6 degrees. But research hasn’t made it clear whether relieving fever slows recovery. Some studies show that lowering fever may prolong viral infections and increase the amount of virus we can pass on to others.

Source: NewScientist