Millions of Americans already take a daily aspirin to help prevent heart attacks. So it’s welcome news that they may also be seeing additional benefit.
The old saying was "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" but more and more nowadays we are discovering how an aspirin a day might be a good option too because it has health benefits beyond original expectations.
The latest scientific research relates to "baby" aspirin and it’s potential benefit in colon health. Colon cancer is the second-leading cancer-related cause of death. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, it is estimated that colorectal cancer will "kill more than 56,000 Americans this year."
In the study, announced at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting, more than 1,100 participants were given either an 80-mg. baby aspirin, a 325-mg. regular aspirin, or a placebo every day for 34 months. The results were promising – a modest reduction in colon-cancer risk by preventing the growth of adenomas was experienced in participants who had consumed a daily aspirin. Adenomas are "benign epithelial tumors that may progress to invasive cancer."
The recent study had specifically looked at the issue of recurrence of adenomas after such growths were removed during routine colonoscopies. Participants who took an 80-mg. baby aspirin daily reduced their risk of recurrence by 19 percent; however those taking the 325-mg. regular aspirin had a 4 percent reduction in risk.
During the study, healthy men and women who had a least one polyp removed within the three months preceding the study were randomly giving either type of aspirin or a placebo. Subsequent screenings found that those receiving the baby aspirin showed a lower recurrence than those getting the placebo. And, interestingly, those taking a full-size aspirin had only a slightly lower recurrence rate than those who took the placebo.
The bottom line appears to be that taking a baby aspirin a day could help prevent colon cancer, even if only modestly. This is also important because questions have been raised by some recent studies as to the protective effects of a diet high in fiber in preventing colorectal cancer.
Finally, it is important to remember that taking aspirin can also have some serious side effects – it interferes with blood clotting and could cause bleeding and digestive ulcers. So it is important to consider these issues when making a decision, and to consult with your doctor, before going ahead and undertaking the use of a daily aspirin for health benefits.
The old saying was "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" but more and more nowadays we are discovering how an aspirin a day might be a good option too because it has health benefits beyond original expectations.
The latest scientific research relates to "baby" aspirin and it’s potential benefit in colon health. Colon cancer is the second-leading cancer-related cause of death. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, it is estimated that colorectal cancer will "kill more than 56,000 Americans this year."
In the study, announced at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting, more than 1,100 participants were given either an 80-mg. baby aspirin, a 325-mg. regular aspirin, or a placebo every day for 34 months. The results were promising – a modest reduction in colon-cancer risk by preventing the growth of adenomas was experienced in participants who had consumed a daily aspirin. Adenomas are "benign epithelial tumors that may progress to invasive cancer."
The recent study had specifically looked at the issue of recurrence of adenomas after such growths were removed during routine colonoscopies. Participants who took an 80-mg. baby aspirin daily reduced their risk of recurrence by 19 percent; however those taking the 325-mg. regular aspirin had a 4 percent reduction in risk.
During the study, healthy men and women who had a least one polyp removed within the three months preceding the study were randomly giving either type of aspirin or a placebo. Subsequent screenings found that those receiving the baby aspirin showed a lower recurrence than those getting the placebo. And, interestingly, those taking a full-size aspirin had only a slightly lower recurrence rate than those who took the placebo.
The bottom line appears to be that taking a baby aspirin a day could help prevent colon cancer, even if only modestly. This is also important because questions have been raised by some recent studies as to the protective effects of a diet high in fiber in preventing colorectal cancer.
Finally, it is important to remember that taking aspirin can also have some serious side effects – it interferes with blood clotting and could cause bleeding and digestive ulcers. So it is important to consider these issues when making a decision, and to consult with your doctor, before going ahead and undertaking the use of a daily aspirin for health benefits.
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