Aspirin: The 2,000-Year-Old Wonder Drug

 

Move over apples, there’s a new sheriff in town. It seems that aspirin, the pain reliever relied on to ease a throbbing headache or aching back, taken once a day could be what actually keeps the doctor away.

Multiple studies have shown that 75 mg a day of aspirin can cut a person’s risk of colon cancer by anywhere from 17 to 28 percent. It also reduces the odds of dying post-colon cancer diagnosis by 30 to 40 percent.

Popping one baby aspirin a day has also been shown to protect memory and cognitive function in older adults, according to research recently published in BMJ Open. The cheap over-the-counter remedy could cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by a whopping 55 percent.

As Americans search for options to trim the costs of health care, many are looking to this affordable, ancient remedy as a wonder drug.

 

Aspirin and Your Heart

In addition to being beneficial for brain and colon health, aspirin is good for your heart.

According to the Mayo Clinic, an aspirin a day ups your heart health by interfering with your blood's clotting action. When you bleed, cells in your blood called platelets build up at the site of a cut or wound to help form a plug that stops the bleeding. This clotting can also occur in the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart, leading to a blood clot that can block the artery or prevent proper blood flow.

While it doesn’t completely prohibit clotting altogether, aspirin helps by reducing platelets' ability to clot.

Aspirin Through the Ages

Officially known as acetylsalicylic acid or ASA, aspirin’s origins date back to 2,000 BC when references to medicine made from salicylate-rich plants like willow being used to treat fevers have been found in Egyptian papyri. In 400 BC, Hippocrates, the “father of medicine,” recommended willow bark (which is rich in salicylic acid) to treat aches and pains and as an analgesic for women in labor.

Willow bark’s popularity stood the test of time. Legend says Lewis and Clark relied on it to treat fevers suffered during their famous expedition. In the nineteenth century pharmacists began experimenting with and prescribing chemicals related to salicylic acid, the active component of willow extract.

Modern day’s version of aspirin is the result of German chemist Felix Hoffman’s work in 1897.

 

Is an aspirin a day for you?

Despite its popularity doctors don’t readily recommend aspirin to their patients, or see aspirin as voluntary.

However the mounting body of research pointing to aspirin’s ability to protect against a host of diseases begs the question--should Americans ask their doctor about incorporating an aspirin a day?

Many doctors do suggest daily aspirin therapy to patients who:

•Already had a heart attack or stroke

•Have a family history of colon cancer

•Had a stent placed in a coronary artery, have had coronary bypass surgery, or have chest pain due to coronary artery disease (angina)

•Never had a heart attack, but are at high risk of having one

•Are a man with diabetes older than 50, or a woman with diabetes older than 60

Consult Your Physician

The typical dosage of aspirin as a preventative is 75 mg, less than a standard baby aspirin. However, many doctors will prescribe 81 mg, the dose of a typical baby aspirin, up to 325 mg, which is a regular strength aspirin.

There are downsides to aspirin including aspirin allergy that can trigger an asthma attack, bleeding stomach ulcers and clotting disorders. Before starting a daily aspirin regimen it’s best to talk to your doctor about your specific benefits and risks.

 "It's been well over two decades since we've had any major breakthroughs," in drug treatments for depression, said Steven Hollon, a professor of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, who was not involved in the study. "Anything that can produce a rapid response in a refractory patient population has got real potential to help down the line."

The new drug may not produce serious side effects because it does not block glutamate binding as completely as ketamine does.

However, the new drug does not appear to work quite as well as ketamine. In a previous study, more than half of patients who took ketamine responded within an hour and 20 minutes (compared with 27 percent for AZD6765), and the antidepressant effects lasted for seven days.

Future studies may test higher or more frequent doses of the drug, or perhaps the drug can be developed as an oral form, Zarate said. Researchers may also test new drugs that target the glutamate system, he said.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca owns a patent on AZD6765, and provided the study drug. One of the study authors works for AstraZeneca.

Prescription Drug Addictions

Just because pills are prescribed by a doctor and administered by a pharmacy, that doesn’t mean they are safe for everyone. As prescription numbers continue to rise, the chance for prescription drug abuse rises as well

The most widely abused pharmaceuticals fall into three categories:

•Opioids: These produce a sought-after euphoric effect due to their pain killing abilities for short-term or chronic pain.

•Central nervous system depressants: Also called tranquillizers and depressants, these include barbituates and benzodiazepines, some of the most abused drugs. They have a calming, relaxing effect, like a warm blanket on the brain.

•Stimulants: This class increases brain activity, thereby increasing alertness and energy

Xanax

Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzodiazepine prescribed to treat panic disorder and serious anxiety. It calms a person by depressing his or her abnormal central nervous system. Those without a prescription may abuse the drug for its fast-acting sedating and relaxing effects. The Drug Abuse Warning Network says Xanax is the most abused drug for these reasons.

Klonopin & Valium

Much like Xanax, Klonopin and Valium are often misused for their sedative effects. These “highs” can feel similar to the effects of alcohol, including feelings of drunkenness, talkativeness, and relaxation.

Due to these favorable traits, Klonopin, Valium, and other benzodiazepines can be extremely habit-forming, cause blackouts, and even death by overdose. It is not uncommon for Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium to be taken in conjunction with other drugs.

Oxycodone

Oxycodone, sold commonly as OxyContin and Percocet, is an opioid that changes the way the brain and central nervous system respond to pain. It creates a euphoric, sedative effect.

Often likened to heroin, Oxycodone is prescribed by doctors about six million times a year. Because these pills can cost hundreds of dollars a pill, addicts often have to steal to afford the habit.

Demerol & Darvocet

Like Oxycodone, Demerol and Darvocet are commonly abused painkillers. The danger in these, besides the immediate side effects, is that users often develop a tolerance to the drugs’ effects and will increase their dosage. Often, this leads to painful and possibly even violent withdrawal symptoms.

In 2010, Darvocet was pulled off the market in the United States because it was found to lead to heart complications in patients.

Codeine (Purple Drank)

Codeine is often combined with other medications to reduce coughing and pain. This opiate is commonly found in prescription-strength cough syrup. When consumed in high quantities, Codeine-based cough syrup has a sedative effect and can cause altered levels of consciousness.

Codeine cough syrup is the base for “purple drank” or “sizzurp,” a concoction made with soda and candy that was popularized in some early 2000s hip-hop music.

Amphetamines (Speed)

Simply known as speed, amphetamines are prescribed for conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy where focus and wakefulness are needed to combat symptoms. However, they have been historically misused for their energizing capabilities.

It’s most commonly misused today under the brand name Adderall by those who need to skip on sleep, such as truck drivers, college students working on deadlines, and shift workers.

Ritalin

Similar to Adderall, Ritalin is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system by increasing levels of dopamine—a hormone that heightens attention—in the brain. As with other stimulants, it can be habit forming.

One reason Ritalin and other ADHD drugs are so commonly abused is their availability. In 2005, doctors prescribed Ritalin and similar drugs more than 29 million times, and that number continues to rise.