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Around 29 million people in the US take a daily dose of aspirin as a preventative measure for cardiovascular disease. And while an age-related increased risk of bleeding has seen it fall out of favor with medical authorities, it's now shaping up as something that might be even more beneficial in triggering the immune system to help take down certain cancers. There's been a growing body of research showing that regular, long-term low-dose aspirin use was associated with better outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC). But scientists haven't been entirely sure just why the common over-the-counter medicine was having a distinctive...

Aspirin is an inexpensive and readily available medication that could benefit cancer treatments, preventing metastatic cancer spread and reducing vascular complications, finds a new meta-analysis study. The research looked at the results of 118 observational studies based on around 1 million patients with a wide range of cancers, finding that taking a daily low-dose (75 or 81 mg/day) aspirin was associated with a 20% reduction in deaths from cancer and in deaths from all causes. "Aspirin was shown in 1968 to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer, as it targets a number of key biological mechanisms of cancer,...

Those who don't take daily low-dose aspirin consistently after a heart attack are more likely to have another heart attack, stroke or die compared with their counterparts who consistently take aspirin, a new study shows. If you've had a heart attack, your doctor likely told you to take a low-dose aspirin daily to stave off a second heart attack or stroke, but most people don't follow through with this advice over the long-term. Those folks who don't take daily low-dose aspirin consistently are more likely to have another heart attack, stroke or die compared with their counterparts who consistently take...

Patients hospitalized with fractures typically receive an injectable blood thinner, low-molecular-weight heparin, to prevent life-threatening blood clots. A new clinical trial, however, found that inexpensive over-the-counter aspirin is just as effective. The randomized clinical trial is the largest trial ever conducted on orthopedic trauma patients. "Many patients with fractures will likely strongly prefer to take a daily aspirin over receiving injections after we found that both give them similar outcomes for prevention of the most serious outcomes from blood clots," said Robert V. O'Toole, MD. Blood clots cause as many as 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Patients who...

Brief Summary: The CDC and WHO have deemed the COVID-19 virus a global pandemic of unprecedented severity in modern times. In 2019, this novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged from the Asian continent and has now caused upwards of 1million deaths and over 6 million infections globally. Currently, the estimated global economic impact is over 5 Trillion dollars. Understanding the host response to pathogens, specifically the cellular and humoral responses, has played an important role in new non-antibiotic therapies. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) has a potential role in the clearance and/or recurrence of enteric viral infections.

The study was funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. These results highlight how crucial it is to only take aspirin on your doctor’s orders and to hold off starting any over-the-counter medications like aspirin until you have discussed whether the expected benefit outweighs the risk. According to recent research, stopping the use of aspirin while taking a blood thinner reduces the risk of bleeding. Recent research indicates that you might not need to take a second blood thinner if you already take one. In fact, a Michigan Medicine study reveals that patients’ risk of bleeding complications significantly...

Patients who have surgery to repair bone fractures typically receive a type of injectable blood thinner, low-molecular-weight heparin, to prevent life-threatening blood clots, but a new clinical trial found that over-the-counter aspirin is just as effective. The multi-center randomized clinical trial of more than 12,000 patients at 21 trauma centers is the largest-ever trial in orthopedic trauma patients. Said Robert V. O'Toole, MD: "Orthopedic trauma patients are commonly prescribed the blood thinner low-molecular-weight heparin to prevent blood clots for weeks following surgery. Not only does the medication need to be injected, it can also be quite expensive compared to aspirin."...

Aspirin therapy, as opposed to statin use, for non-obstructive coronary artery disease does not reduce major cardiovascular events, according to a new study. Non-obstructive coronary artery disease occurs when there is less than 50% stenosis, or narrowing, of the coronary arteries due to plaque buildup. Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is often recommended as a first-line test to detect plaque. Medications called statins are commonly prescribed for patients who are diagnosed with non-obstructive coronary artery disease. Statins reduce the production of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and draw cholesterol out of plaque, therefore stabilizing the plaque and reducing the risk of it...

Science says Aspirin is good, bad and undeterminedAspirin Use Is Associated With Decreased Mechanical Ventilation, Intensive Care Unit Admission, and In-Hospital Mortality in Hospitalized Patients With Coronavirus Disease 20199/25/2021, 12:57:34 PM · by ransomnote · 65 replies journals.lww.com ^ | Oct 21, 2020 | Jonathan H. Chow, Ashish K. Khanna, Shravan Kethireddy, et alAspirin Misuse May Have Made 1918 Flu Pandemic Worse10/2/2009, 1:44:59 PM · by decimon · 30 replies · 1,715+ views HIV Medicine Association ^ | October 2, 2009 | UnknownThe devastation of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic is well known, but a new article suggests a surprising factor...

Researchers may be in the early stages of discovering an effective strategy for inhibiting the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the results of a recent study. The results of the findings from David A. Ostrov, Ph.D., of the University of Florida, were published in Pathogens in late November. The report suggested that combining diphenhydramine — an antihistamine sold as Benadryl that is used for allergy symptoms — and lactoferrin — a protein found in cow and human milk — reduced replication of SARS-CoV-2 by 99% in lab tests on human lung and monkey cells.

Aspirin use is associated with a 26% raised risk of heart failure in people with at least one predisposing factor for the condition. Predisposing factors included smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. "This is the first study to report that among individuals with a least one risk factor for heart failure, those taking aspirin were more likely to subsequently develop the condition than those not using the medication," said study author Dr. Blerim Muja. The influence of aspirin on heart failure is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate its relationship with heart failure incidence in...

With this information in mind Israeli researchers hypothesized that pre-infection treatment with low-dose aspirin (75mg) use might have a potential beneficial effect on COVID-19 susceptibility and disease duration. A joint team from Leumit Health Services, Bar-Ilan University, and Barzilai Medical Center conducted an observational epidemiological study, utilizing data from Leumit Health Services, a national health maintenance organization in Israel. Their findings were recently published in The FEBS Journal. The researchers analyzed data of 10,477 persons who had been tested for COVID-19 during the first COVID-19 wave in Israel from February 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020. Aspirin use to avoid...

Thank you, Dr. Brian C. Joondeph, for your article on aspirin as a potential part of the covid treatment regimen. And for mentioning ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as similar safe and potentially very effective therapeutics. Here are a couple more to be considered. (Please note that I am not a physician, and I am not dispensing medical advice. I’m just commenting on publicly available information.) Bromhexine, an ingredient found in some cough suppressants, may work due to its protease-inhibitor functions, according to a paper released in May 2020. It appears to have use as both a prophylactic and a treatment. A...

Aspirin is one of those drugs that has been around forever. It is commonly used as a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, and as a blood thinner. Surprisingly it may also have benefit in treating COVID. A paper in Anesthesia and Analgesia published last spring titled, “Aspirin use is associated with decreased mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit admission, and in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019.” This was a retrospective, observational study of adult patients admitted to multiple hospitals in the U.S. between March and July 2020, in the early days of COVID. The primary outcome addressed by the researchers...

The treatment reduced the risk of reaching mechanical ventilation by 44%. ICU admissions were lower by 43%, and an overall in-hospital mortality saw a 47% decrease. Over-the-counter aspirin could protect the lungs of COVID-19 patients and minimize the need for mechanical ventilation, according to new research at the George Washington University. The team investigated more than 400 COVID patients from hospitals across the United States who take aspirin unrelated to their COVID disease, and found that the treatment reduced the risk of several parameters by almost half: reaching mechanical ventilation by 44%, ICU admissions by 43%, and overall in-hospital mortality...

Over-the-counter aspirin could protect the lungs of COVID-19 patients and minimize the need for mechanical ventilation, according to new research at the George Washington University.The team investigated more than 400 COVID patients from hospitals across the United States who take aspirin unrelated to their COVID disease, and found that the treatment reduced the risk of several parameters by almost half: reaching mechanical ventilation by 44%, ICU admissions by 43%, and overall in-hospital mortality by 47%.“As we learned about the connection between blood clots and COVID-19, we knew that aspirin – used to prevent stroke and heart attack – could be...

Over-the-counter aspirin could protect the lungs of COVID-19 patients and minimize the need for mechanical ventilation, according to new research at the George Washington University. The team investigated more than 400 COVID patients from hospitals across the United States who take aspirin unrelated to their COVID disease, and found that the treatment reduced the risk of several parameters by almost half: reaching mechanical ventilation by 44%, ICU admissions by 43%, and overall in-hospital mortality by 47%. “As we learned about the connection between blood clots and COVID-19, we knew that aspirin – used to prevent stroke and heart attack –...

Older adults without heart disease shouldn't take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, an influential health guidelines group said in preliminary updated advice released Tuesday. Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven't had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in its draft guidance.

[H/T chuck allen]Authors: Chow, Jonathan H. MD*; Khanna, Ashish K. MD, FCCP, FCCM†,‡; Kethireddy, Shravan MD§; Yamane, David MD∥; Levine, Andrea MD¶; Jackson, Amanda M. MD#; McCurdy, Michael T. MD¶; Tabatabai, Ali MD¶,**; Kumar, Gagan MD§; Park, Paul MD††; Benjenk, Ivy RN, MPH*; Menaker, Jay MD; Ahmed, Nayab MD§§; Glidewell, Evan MD∥∥; Presutto, Elizabeth MD††; Cain, Shannon MD¶¶; Haridasa, Naeha BS*; Field, Wesley MD§§; Fowler, Jacob G. BS∥∥; Trinh, Duy MD††; Johnson, Kathleen N. BS∥∥; Kaur, Aman DO§§; Lee, Amanda BS††; Sebastian, Kyle MD∥∥; Ulrich, Allison MD††; Peña, Salvador MD, PhD∥∥; Carpenter, Ross MD††; Sudhakar, Shruti MD††; Uppal, Pushpinder MD††;...

A combination therapy of aspirin, statins and at least two blood pressure medications given in fixed doses can slash the risk of fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) by more than half, says an international study led by Hamilton researchers. The fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapies were examined both with and without aspirin versus control groups in a combined analysis of more than 18,000 patients without prior CVD from three large clinical trials. FDCs including aspirin cut the risk of heart attacks by 53 percent, stroke by 51 percent, and deaths from cardiovascular causes by 49 percent. The results were welcomed by international...