According to a recent study, baby aspirin may not be good for everyone. While close to a third of middle-aged Americans take this medication on a daily basis to prevent stroke or heart attack or reduce the risk of cancer, for some the risks of aspirin may outweigh any benefits.
You can find out more about these findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed several studies about the use of aspirin in Europe, the US, and Japan that involved over 100,000 participants. Subjects had never suffered a stroke or a heart attack and they had been given either a placebo or actual aspirin to help determine the latter’s benefits.
The New York Times, which published an article about the study, said the researchers reported that although people who took aspirin regularly had a 20% less chance of suffering a nonfatal heart attack and a 10% less chance of having any kind of heart event, the risks for at least some good be greater than the benefits. People who took aspirin had a 30% greater likelihood of experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding. Also, the study did not find cancer prevention to be a resulting side effect of taking aspirin regularly.
Also, while many believe that aspirin protects from stroke and heart attack because it acts like a blood thinner, thinning out the blood can lead to brain bleeding and gastrointestinal bleeding. Some medical professionals have said that the risk of bleeding from taking aspirin may rise as a person grows older. Also, while taking aspirin can reduce pain, fever, and inflammation, this effect may reduce the stomach’s protective layer, potentially upping the risk of ulcer.
It is a good idea to consult with your doctor to determine whether taking aspirin is best for you. That said, if you believe that you suffered health complications or illness from taking an over-the-counter drug, a medication that a doctor prescribed to you, and/or one that a drug manufacturer failed to provide adequate warning about the side effects involved, you may have grounds for a Boston personal injury case on the grounds of Massachusetts medical malpractice or products liability/dangerous drug.
Daily Aspirin Is Not for Everyone, Study Suggests, New York Times, January 16, 2012
Archives of Internal Medicine
Dangers of Taking Aspirin Daily, The Wall Street Journal, February 23, 2010
More Blog Posts:
Adverse Reactions to Diabetes Meds, Antiplatelet Drugs, Blood Thinner, and Insulin Linked to Elderly Seniors Ending Up in the ER, Reports New Study, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, November 26, 2011
Boston Personal Injury?: Use of Psychotropic Drugs Can Prove Fatal for Some Elderly Patients, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, March 30, 2011
Man Awarded $48.1M Dangerous Drug Verdict in Products Liability Lawsuit Over Motrin, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, October 7, 2011
More Blog Posts:
Contact our Boston injury lawyers at Altman & Altman, LLP today.