New research has shown that a small dose of the painkiller every day can reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and blood clots. So if aspirin is a miracle drug, shouldn’t we all be taking it?
A study, published on Tuesday, reported that taking a low dose of aspirin daily for between three and five years reduces the chance of being diagnosed with cancer during that time by 19 per cent.
The research, by Oxford University’s Stroke Prevention Research Unit, and published in The Lancet, also found that five years or more after starting taking aspirin, the reduction in cancer diagnoses rises to 30 per cent, and that the drug appears not only to stop cancers developing but also to stop them spreading. Previous work by the same group has shown that taking 75mg of aspirin – a quarter of the standard over-the-counter pill – daily for five years or more reduces the risk of getting bowel cancer by a quarter, and deaths from the disease by a third.
We also know that aspirin thins the blood through its effect on platelets, which is why it is prescribed for people with cardiovascular disease, and for those at risk of it because of high blood pressure, diabetes or their family history. Moreover, aspirin is used widely for blood-clotting disorders and to help prevent recurrent miscarriages, migraines, cataracts, and pre-eclampsia pregnancy.
So shouldn’t every middle-aged man or woman (in whom the drug is not contraindicated) be taking it every morning?
Prof Peter Rothwell, who led the Oxford team, says yes. Prof Gordon McVie, of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, is evangelical on the subject: ”This is clear-cut. Aspirin is cheap and effective.’’ Peter Elwood, Prof of Epidemiology at the University of Wales, agrees: ”Taking aspirin every day will increase your chance of survival against serious diseases.’’
One of the UK’s leading cancer specialists, Prof Karol Sikora, says the prophylactic evidence is certainly positive, but that he doesn’t take a daily aspirin – yet. ”I don’t actually know why not,’’ he admits, sheepishly.
The side-effects associated with regular aspirin intake remain a factor. ”There are always gastrointestinal side-effects such as stomach bleeding and pain, and no one can remove these risks,” says Prof Sikora. “If you have no history of ulcers or gastritis, you could probably go ahead – but if after a week or two you feel stomach discomfort, talk to your GP.’’
And quantity is not quality, he says. ”There is no added benefit to taking higher doses when it comes to preventing disease – but there is more risk of side-effects. Stick to a junior [75mg] dose.’’ (Although ”junior’’ is a misnomer, as aspirin should never be given to under-16s unless under specialist advice – it can cause the potentially fatal Reye’s syndrome.)
In addition to peptic ulcers, other contraindications include haemophilia or bleeding disorders, and allergies to aspirin or to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and diclofenac. It should be taken with caution by those with asthma, liver, kidney or digestive problems, while pregnant and breastfeeding women should seek advice from their GP.
So at what age should you start?
Dr Sovra Whitcroft, a consultant gynaecologist at the Surrey Park Clinic, Guildford, thinks all women of menopausal age or older should be taking a low daily dose. ”Aspirin is known to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, including [vascular] dementia, possibly due to its effect in thinning the blood and reducing the chance of microscopic clots in the blood vessels. And the risk of developing cancer also increases as oestrogen levels decline.’’ Cancer is, of course, age-related, which is why aspirin as a prophylactic drug is something men in middle age should consider, too.
Information scourced in part from The Daily Telegraph.
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