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Aug 12, 2009 10:37 pm US/Central
Good Question: Is Aspirin Really A Wonder Drug?
CHASKA, Minn. (WCCO) ―
A new study gives you yet another reason to consider adding aspirin to your daily regimen. A new study says aspirin may reduce your chances of dying of colorectal cancer by 30 percent.
Most colon cancer tumors produce an enzyme called COX-2 which triggers the cancer cells to grow. The theory is aspirin may work by blocking COX-2 and preventing cancer growth.
The 1200 patients in the study took just two aspirin a week on average. The findings need to be confirmed in clinical drug trials to confirm the results.
Studies have already confirmed aspirin's ability to prevent heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
Dr. Chrystian Pereira, an assistant professor at the U of M's College of Pharmacy, says aspirin helps those ailments by affecting the patient's blood.
"The main way we think of it as its helping increase blood circulation and blood flow by improving that then it is reducing overall risk," Pereira said.
Which leads to another good question: should we all be popping aspirin? Dr. Pereira says no.
"There's a lot of other sides to aspirin too where there can be increased risk of gastric bleeding and increased risk of kidney dysfunction," he said.
Pereira says do not start an aspirin regimen on your own. He says consult with your Doctor to see if the benefits of aspirin for you outweigh the side effects.
One common misconception about aspirin is that it is a good pain reliever.
"It's a really bad pain reliever, it will work but because you have to take it in higher doses your at much higher risk for having the side effects so its known for pain relief but its not really advocated in medicine," he said.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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