It's touted as a little daily miracle--the mainstream has long celebrated aspirin as a magic potion for warding off heart attack and death in people with cardiovascular disease.
Of course, we know better than that. For years now, aspirin has been linked to a slew of health problems including fertility problems in the next generation and hearing problems. Then there's the bleeding. Most recently, I told you about more research into the link between aspirin and stomach bleeding.
In that e-Tip, I referenced a UK study that found that people taking a daily dose of aspirin had almost twice the risk of stomach bleeding as compared to people who weren't taking aspirin.
Well, what about just a *little* aspirin? Is there a dose that is low enough to keep the heart healthy without any bleeding risk?
According to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, it looks like the answer is a great big "No."
That study shows that even low-dose aspirin (and we're talking really low--as low as 75 mg daily and up to 325 mg daily) increases the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. And if a person is on other heart "protecting" daily treatments like anticoagulants, the risk climbs even higher.
In an ironic "they don't really get it, do they?" twist, doctors are starting to use low-dose aspirin to prevent--you guessed it--GI (and colon) cancer.
So, once again, it looks like there's no winning when you play the aspirin game. The mainstream, of course, won't hear anything of it. I don't watch much television, but when I do, I still see those ads in which a somber man gives a serious talk to the camera about how aspirin is saving his heart.
Yeah, but what's it doing to the rest of your body?
Why put your health in the hands of a drug that gets more and more press for ravaging your body as it "protects" your heart? You can protect your heart without the bleeding risks associated with aspirin.
For example, there's good ol' fish oil. It cuts inflammation and reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death--without any risk of bleeding. Dr. Wright recommends at least 1 tablespoon per day. He suggests cod liver oil since it also contains a heaping helping of vitamin D.
Related articles of interest:
Heart risk for aspirin quitters
Aspirin: A loaded gun for your heart
Aspirin therapy isn't therapeutic
Can aspirin really lower your cancer risk?
By Christine O'Brien on 09/26/2011
http://www.healthiertalk.com/more-bad-press-mainstream-darling-low-dose-aspirin-4748
