21 replies to this topic

[johnmk]

http://www.mercola.c...ain_killers.htm

I've been taking an 81mg baby aspirin daily for the past year. I just recently switched to three times a week instead. Would once or twice a week be even better?

Thanks,

-John

[scottl]

As I jsut posted on avant, NSAIDs are bad news for you kidneys long term and tylenol your liver. I avoid them as much as possible.

Asprin.....sigh....lets just say that part of how asprin works is by inhibiting inflammation same pathway as e.g. fish oils. So I don't take any or recommend any. If my CRP (being drawn tomorrow) comes back high, I may get to eat my words.

oh your question. Correlation does not equal causation The last sentence from the abstrract Mercola (who is....not always reliable) is referencing:

Conclusions: Long-term daily use of NSAIDs was not associated with breast cancer risk overall. Ibuprofen use was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, and long-term daily aspirin use was associated with an increased risk of ER/PR-negative breast cancer. ***However, it is not clear if the observed association is causal.***

e.g. lipstick use is correlated with breast cancer too. Doesn't mean that it causes it.

So there is this correlation which needs further study.

[johnmk]

Perhaps those who are needing to take pain relievers therapeutically or who are prescribed daily aspirin use are more by those facts alone going to skew the results anyway. Do you know if the study took that into account? Anyway, I have decided to reduce my use of aspirin to about twice a week, for a total of 182mg/wk thus.

[caliban]

This review provides compelling and converging evidence that regular intake of NSAIDs that non-selectively block COX-2 protects against the development of many types of cancer.

Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer prevention: a critical review of non-selective COX-2 blockade (review).

Harris RE, Beebe-Donk J, Doss H, Burr Doss D.
Oncol Rep. 2005 Apr;13(4):559-83.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....6426&query_hl=3

[Pablo M]

I was also under the impression that one OTC painkiller (perhaps it was acetaminophen) depletes glutathione.

[stellar]

I was also under the impression that one OTC painkiller (perhaps it was acetaminophen) depletes glutathione.

Someone clarify this so I will avoid that painkiller at all costs...

[scottl]

I was also under the impression that one OTC painkiller (perhaps it was acetaminophen) depletes glutathione.

Yes. This is why NAC is the antidote of tylenol poisoning--NAC increases glutatione.

[johnmk]

Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer prevention: a critical review of non-selective COX-2 blockade (review).

Harris RE, Beebe-Donk J, Doss H, Burr Doss D.
Oncol Rep. 2005 Apr;13(4):559-83.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....6426&query_hl=3

OK so twice a week I shall dose 81mg of aspirin, until I hear someone who can contradict such a study. I am of course worried about the possibility that long-term low dose aspirin use could affect cognition. Where is this opinion supported in research or theory, I am curious?

Thank you,

-John

[johnmk]

johnmk if I remember right you're under 30? Why take it at all? Also, i've read somewhere that long term use of NSAIDs is bad for cognition.

Where have you read that? By the way, I am 25 and interested in good health, the research on aspirin is pretty compelling as far as I am aware. Much of that benefit, I am hopeful, might be achieved by cutting my intake to twice a week, 81mg. Otherwise, I never have need for aspirin, and seldom take it for my daily aches and pains. I just deal with them, and they tend to be rare and infrequent.

[johnmk]

I'm sorry, could you rephrase that?

Thank you!

[xanadu]

I've read several studies that found people who took at least 3 aspirin a week had much lower rates of colon cancer. This runs in my family so I've been on it for over 10 years. The link given by caliban supports that fact and totally contradicts the study given in the first post. Which is correct? Asking who paid for the study might be the better question.

[xanadu]

But, the claims are 100% opposite. They don't say it reduces cancer but raises blood pressure, for example. They say it reduces cancer but that one study says it increaces cancer. I've seen more studies saying it reduces the risk so I think this latest one is wrong.

[scottl]

I've read several studies that found people who took at least 3 aspirin a week had much lower rates of colon cancer. This runs in my family so I've been on it for over 10 years. The link given by caliban supports that fact and totally contradicts the study given in the first post. Which is correct? Asking who paid for the study might be the better question.

Take lots of folic acid, take calcium, be sure to get enough fiber in whatever form, minimize red meats, and IMHO as I said above, ditch the asprin

[emerson]

Isn't there also speculation, along with some supportive evidence, that nsaid reduce the probability of developing Alzheimer's? I'd be quite interested if someone more familiar with this particular aspect felt like chiming in. Cancer's scary, but it's Alzheimer's that I'm downright scared of.

[scottl]

Isn't there also speculation, along with some supportive evidence, that nsaid reduce the probability of developing Alzheimer's? I'd be quite interested if someone more familiar with this particular aspect felt like chiming in. Cancer's scary, but it's Alzheimer's that I'm downright scared of.

Things that descrease inflammation apparently decrease alzheimers. Soooo NSAIDs do, of course so does fish oil, curcumin, etc.

[xanadu]

But the basic conflict over whether asprin decreases or increases cancer has not been laid to rest. I started on asprin back in '90 after I'd read some research on it. Since then there have been a number of other studies showing the same thing. One recent study going in the opposite direction does not invalidate all the other research. I'd say use the minimum amount but keep taking it until the question is answered. Even if it increaced risk for some forms of cancer, if it does drasticly reduce other forms and you are in a risk group for those other forms, the overall tradeoff may be very positive in your case. That's assuming the latest study is correct and I believe it had to do mostly with breast cancer. Not something males have to worrry about much.

I already do the things you recommend, scottl, and plan to boost my biotin intake.

[johnmk]

Premature dementia and fragile cognitive function in general is strong on my father's mother's side of the family. We just moved her (my grandmother (dad's mother) on my father's side) into a nursing home, after living with her for two years in our home. She's had Alzheimer's for several years and it's getting to the point where she also exhibits signs of schizophrenia (I believe). She's 88, in good physical health, but all her life we suspect she's maybe . . . sub-par, mentally, i.e. maybe below average IQ or head trauma as a baby. :(

It's hard for me to judge my father. He seems to be a motivated fellow with good outcome, certainly has wisdom of one sort or another despite any bad genes he may have got from his mother. Perhaps his father (an average enough fellow) educated him smart and open-minded. His father died in the 1970's from a heart attack. My grandmother ran up the street and sought help at the church. Smooth move. That delayed any hope of help for at least 5-10 extra minutes. Curiously, one of her daughters (my aunt Leslie) is a very, very intelligent and wise woman.

My mother's side of the family is long-lived, in both her mother's and father's side. Long-lived Scandanavian stock. And dementia seems to strike very mildly in the mid 80's, but till then intelligence and cognitive function in general appears above normal (in fact, my mother's side of the family are all very intelligent folk). No Alzheimer's or other severe cognitive/brain disorders that I know of on my mother's side. They all seem to live to their mid 90's and die of cardiovascular diseases I think, till the end mentally aware and coherent as you'd want to be at that age.

So . . . can anyone tell me what my risks might be?

[scottl]

I already do the things you recommend, scottl, and plan to boost my biotin intake.

If you deem the potential benefits i.e. cancer reduction worth the risk to your kidneys then taking asprin is the right thing to do.