Aspirin News and Research

RSS

Aspirin also known as acetylsalicylic acid is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin also has an antiplatelet, or "anti-clotting", effect and is used in long-term, low doses to prevent heart attacks, strokes and blood clot formation in people at high risk for developing blood clots. It has also been established that low doses of aspirin may be given immediately after a heart attack to reduce the risk of another heart attack or of the death of cardiac tissue.

Stress won't cause stomach ulcers, but it can make them worse

“Stress won't cause stomach ulcers, but it can make them worse,” says Dr. David Graham, professor of medicine and molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. “Stress causes the body to produce higher amounts of acid, which can irritate preexisting ulcers.”

27 Aug 2004

COX2 inhibitor lumiracoxib could be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis

The use of non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is widespread to reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis; however the sideeffects of these drugs can be severe, sometimes leading to gastro-intestinal ulcer complications which account for around 7000 US and 1000 UK deaths each year.

21 Aug 2004

Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes are better cared for than managed care patients

Researchers have found that Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes are more likely to receive recommended tests and have better outcomes than managed care patients.

17 Aug 2004

New guidelines urge early and long-term treatment with Aldosterone blockade therapy

Patients who have had a recent heart attack with ST-elevation (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, or STEMI), complicated by heart failure should be treated with aldosterone blockers according to new guidelines issued recently by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA).

17 Aug 2004

Painless heart attacks often result in greater fatality rates than painful episodes

Painless heart attacks or heart conditions can be commonly overlooked and undertreated at the hospital, often resulting in greater fatality rates than painful episodes.

9 Aug 2004

Definite link between migraine and menstruation

Two new studies shows a definite link between migraine and menstruation. Approximately half of all women who seek clinical treatment for migraines have reported an association between migraine and menstruation, and a recent study by the City of London Migraine Clinic confirms their experience.

26 Jul 2004

Chewing aspirin over a prolonged period could severely damage your teeth

“Aspirin can cause severe damage to both the hard and soft tissues of the mouth,” said researchers from the University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore.

10 Jul 2004

New guidelines for treating heart attacks

If your chest pain worsens and lasts more than five minutes, especially if you’re short of breath, feel weak, nauseated or lightheaded, call 9-1-1—you could be having a heart attack.

8 Jul 2004

Anticoagulant therapy with enoxaparin is an effective alternative to heparin therapy for patients with acute coronary syndromes

Two new major studies suggest that anticoagulant therapy with enoxaparin is an effective alternative to heparin therapy for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS)

7 Jul 2004

Medicine storage temperatures are too high

The recommended maximum storage and transit temperatures for most medications is 25°C and are set by the pharmaceutical manufacturers.

2 Jul 2004

Adverse drug reactions cost the NHS £466m a year

Adverse drug reactions account for 1 in 16 hospital admissions and cost the NHS £466m a year, according to a study in this week's BMJ.

2 Jul 2004

U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether anti-drug laws should apply to the medicinal use of marijuana

The U.S. Supreme Court is to decide whether anti-drug laws should apply to the medicinal use of marijuana.

29 Jun 2004

Heart attack patients are discharged without evidenced-based, guideline recommended, life-prolonging therapies

Heart attack care is more likely to match recommended guidelines when health care providers use standardized forms and other reminders, and institutional systems reinforce goals for treatment and patient lifestyles, according to a new study in the June 16, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

16 Jun 2004

Calcium supplements can decrease the risk of all types of colorectal polyps

While taking calcium supplements can decrease the risk of all types of colorectal polyps, research led by Dartmouth Medical School shows calcium had the greatest effect on advanced colorectal adenomas, considered to be most strongly associated with invasive colorectal cancer.

15 Jun 2004

Retirees taking COX-2 anti-inflammatory drugs on a long-term basis also take aspirin therapy

Findings reported in a study published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that over half of patients within a predominantly retiree population taking COX-2 anti-inflammatory drugs on a long-term basis were also taking aspirin therapy for its cardio-protective benefit.

14 Jun 2004

Kids as young as 6 who get frequent headaches may be using over-the-counter pain relievers too much

Kids as young as 6 who get frequent headaches may be using over-the-counter pain relievers far more than they should, and often without their parents' knowledge, suggests a study being presented at the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society (AHS).

11 Jun 2004

Non-aspirin pain drugs may help men with recurrent prostate cancer

Early results from a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine study may determine if drugs called Cox-2 inhibitors, a newer type of non-aspirin pain medicine now widely prescribed for arthritis symptoms, may benefit men with recurrent prostate cancer.

10 Jun 2004

New advice to doctors on lowering diabetes-heart disease risks

Every year, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) issues Clinical Practice Recommendations, a series of updated recommendations, to help health care providers treat people with diabetes using the most current research available.

5 Jun 2004

Women who regularly take aspirin at lower risk of breast cancer

Women who regularly take aspirin seem to be at lower risk of the most common type of breast cancer than those who do not take aspirin, report researchers from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and College of Physicians & Surgeons, Weill Cornell Medical College , and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

31 May 2004

Women who regularly take aspirin seem to be at lower risk of the most common type of breast cancer

Women who regularly take aspirin seem to be at lower risk of the most common type of breast cancer than those who do not take aspirin, report researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and College of Physicians & Surgeons, Weill Cornell Medical College, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

25 May 2004