Mainstream Medicine Finally Catches on to the Risks of Taking a Daily Aspirin

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It’s been on the shelves of supermarkets and pharmacies for almost a hundred years and is considered safe to use for most people. Aspirin, which thins the blood, has been hailed as a wonder drug because it has a wide range of uses which include: reducing the risk of a second heart attack or stroke, the prevention of some types of cancer... and it may even help dementia sufferers.

However, new research shows that aspirin taken daily, by healthy people, as a ‘just in case’ measure to prevent heart attacks or stroke could do much more harm than good. Aspirin increases the likelihood of major bleeding in the brain, stomach or elsewhere in the body, and experts warn that the beneficial effects must be weighed against the risk of harm.

The dangers of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to healthcare

The research was carried out by Prof Gerry Fowkes of the Wolfson Unit for Prevention of Peripheral Vascular Disease in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The trial involved almost 30,000 men and women aged between 50 and 75 who had not been diagnosed with heart disease.

A measurement was taken of the blood pressure in the ankle compared with the arm, which is taken as a sign of disease in the extremities, which can be an early warning signal of heart problems in the future.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive 100mg of aspirin daily or a dummy drug.

After eight years there was no difference in the rate of heart attack or stroke between the two groups.

However, the study found that there were 34 major bleeds in people taking aspirin, or two per cent, compared with 20 or 1.2 per cent of those on the placebo, but this was not considered statistically significant.

In an accompanying editorial in JAMA, Dr Jeffrey Berger, of the New York University School of Medicine, in the US, wrote: “The trial supports findings of a recent meta- analysis that failed to demonstrate a benefit of aspirin therapy for patients with peripheral artery disease.”

Dr. Berger continued: “Based on the trial conducted by Fowkes et al and other similar studies, aspirin appears to have marginal benefits for reducing initial cardiovascular events when used for patients without clinically evident cardiovascular disease and is associated with higher rates of bleeding events in these patients. Nevertheless, aspirin remains an effective therapeutic agent for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events.”

If you want to give your heart and overall health extra protection without the risks involved with taking a daily aspirin, there are some very safe and effective alternatives available:

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Pycnogenol – French Maritime Pine Bark Extract

Pycnogenol normalises the activity of blood platelets responsible for blood clots. It helps reduce platelet ‘stickiness’ particularly for people in high risk groups – smokers, those with hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, and the elderly - and helps maintain healthy platelet aggregation whilst protecting the inner lining of blood vessels.

It also promotes healthy blood pressure and helps regulate cholesterol levels. In some ways Pycnogenol acts like aspirin but the great advantage of Pycnogenol is that unlike aspirin, it crucially does not extend the blood clotting process during an injury or increase the possibility of ulcers or internal bleeding.

Pycnogenol also helps improve circulation by relaxing the constriction of arteries and other blood vessels caused by the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. Pycnogenol has an anti-stress function – promoting improved blood flow during stressful periods.

Studies have also shown that Pycnogenol improves microcirculation due to the increased diameter of micro vessels in elderly people, with better circulation in the fingertips, toes and facial extremities.

Policosanol – Sugar cane extract

Research is accumulating to show that policosanol is more effective than the most popular patent medicines for lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Policosanol also helps to prevent strokes by inhibiting platelet aggregation and abnormal blood clotting and may lower blood pressure. And unlike the popular patent medications, policosanol does not seriously interfere with our bodies ability to produce essential co-enzyme Q10 as the patent statin medications do.

In a recent study policosanol offered better results compared to Pravastatin - a mainstream statin drug. Policosanol lowered LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) levels 4 per cent more than Pravastatin, lowering triglycerides 11 per cent more, and raising HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) levels 18 per cent or 13 per cent more than Pravastatin.

High blood pressure is another marker of cardiovascular disease and, as such, is subject to monitoring and (too often) prescription drug treatment. Fortunately, the benefits of policosanol extend to this arena as well. In another study policosanol showed statistically significant lowering of blood pressure levels (an 8 point drop in systolic and a 4 point drop in diastolic), compared to another statin drug, Simvastatin.

In another comparative trial using healthy volunteers, 20mg of policosanol daily was found to be just as effective as 100mg of aspirin (the daily dose most widely recommended by mainstream doctors to prevent clotting).

Combining policosanol and cod liver oil is a great alternative to aspirin, not only to prevent clotting and to assist cholesterol regulation but also for cardiovascular health and health in general.

Both policosanol and Pycnogenol have very few side effects but as always we advise you to speak to your doctor or health care provider before you start using either.

Heart Disease Related Reading:

Pycnogenol And Polypill - The One-size-fits-all Treatments

Policosanol: Cholesterol - To Lower, Or Not To Lower...

Sugar Cane Extract As An Alternative To Statins

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Sources:

‘Healthy people should not take aspirin to ward off heart attack research shows’ published online 04.03.10, telegraph.co.uk

‘Pycnogenol And Polypill - The One-size-fits-all Treatments’ published online 02.02.04, theheathierlife.co.uk ‘Bark for health!’ published online, biopycnogenol.co.uk

‘Sugar Cane Extract As An Alternative To Statins’ published online 17.02.09, thehealthierlife.co.uk