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Aspirin Sold as a Wonder Drug for All That Ails, But Falls Far Short
- 5-21-2008
- Categorized in: Over-the-Counter Drugs
You've likely seen the articles currently ballyhooing the idea that aspirin, along with other NSAIDs, cuts the risk of breast cancer. It sounds so good. The UK's Independent reported that the breast cancer risk is cut by 20%. The New York Times claimed a 26% lower risk. But, is it true? The answer is probably no, and there certainly is nothing in the study that gives any legitimate credence to the idea.
Where Did the Claim Come From?
The authors of the study, A. Agrawal and I.S. Fentiman of Guy's Hospital in the UK, did not do new research. They searched the MEDLINE database for research that focused on finding a connection between NSAIDs and breast cancer prevention or treatment. They also looked for studies that tried to find the mechanism of a presumed connection between NSAIDs and breast cancer. These were the only criteria used to select articles - criteria that clearly show intent to find a certain result: that NSAIDs lower the risk of breast cancer. This is hardly a balanced approach to research, as the desired result was predetermined.
The studies selected were far from consistent. They found one study, published in 2001, that claims an 18% decrease in the risk of breast cancer, associated primarily with aspirin, not other NSAIDs. Another study from 2003 reported similar results. Another large study produced the same year showed no risk reduction. The authors frankly acknowledged that this was a particularly good and large study. Studies published later show a range of results. Some indicated an increase in breast cancer with high doses of NSAIDs.
The authors of this metastudy make claims for reduced risk of breast cancer, but acknowledge that they do not know what an appropriate NSAID dose would be. The authors start their conclusion with the sentence, "Among studies evaluating the relationship between NSAIDs and breast cancer risk, some found no association whereas others have reported inverse associations."
They go on to point out that a trial of Celecoxib, with the catchy name of REACT (Randomized European Celecoxib Trial) is currently underway. This should strike a note of fear, as Celecoxib has been implicated in a huge range of life-threatening disorders, including liver damage, kidney damage, irregular heart rhythm, gastrointestinal perforation and hemorrhage, edema, osteoarthritis, thrombocytosis, hepatitis, coronary artery disease, bacterial infection, fungal infection, diabetes, and a host of others. Part of the trial will also include tamoxifen, another discredited drug, noted for causing blood clots, endometrial cancer, and stroke. The authors' anticipation of this trial's results is clearly indicated in the sentence, "End-points are disease free survival together with overall survival and toxicity."
To their credit, Agrawal and Fentiman do acknowledge that their article does not take into account the risks associated with NSAIDs and that such a study would need to be done before recommending their use for prevention of breast cancer. Nonetheless, they make the claim that NSAIDs, especially aspirin, appears to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 20%, though they provide absolutely no data to support that claim.
A close inspection of the study makes you wonder how the news media gets its information about studies like this.
What Problems Exist in Taking Aspirin Routinely?
Now, let's take a look at the risks involved in taking aspirin routinely, which is what all these news media articles indicate women should be doing.
Stroke
One of the standard claims about aspirin is that it limits the risk of stroke. The logic is that aspirin is a blood thinner, therefore strokes are less likely when you take it because they're caused by blood clots. There's an obvious flaw in this thinking. Some strokes are caused by the opposite of blood clots; they're caused by bleeding in the brain. It should have been obvious that routinely taking aspirin, or any blood thinner, carries the risk of increasing the incidence of bleeding strokes.
A study spanning 25 years published in the medical journal, Lancet Neurology, showed a seven-fold increase in the incidence of bleeding stroke in people over age 75 who take aspirin.
Reye's Syndrome
Children under age 12 who take aspirin may develop life-threatening Reye's Syndrome. It causes multiple organ disorders and failure. The brain may swell. Cardiac arrest may occur. There is no cure for it. Children often die or are left with permanent disabilities. Though rare, the effects of Reye's Syndrome are so severe that giving aspirin to a child should simply never be done.
Pancreatic Cancer
A study of nearly 90,000 women at Brigham and Women's Hospital, spanning 18 years, shows a 58% increased risk of pancreatic cancer when the participants took more than two aspirin a week. When they took more than 14, the risk became 86% higher.
Gastrointestinal Harm
Bleeding and ulcers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are no small matter. 20,000 Americans die each year from such damage caused by aspirin, and another 100,000 go to the hospital for these injuries.
NSAID-SSRI Cocktail
Researchers in East Anglia, UK, did a metastudy of four trials, which followed 153,000 patients who took a combination of NSAIDs and SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - drugs routinely prescribed for depression and other emotional issues. Those who took only SSRIs had a 2.4 times greater risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Those who took only NSAIDs had a 3.2 times greater risk of such hemorrhages. When an SSRI was taken with an NSAID, the risk rose to 6.3 times that of people who took neither.
Buffered Aspirin
To reduce the risk of GI problems from aspirin, people often take buffered forms. These pills are coated with a chemical that neutralizes stomach acid, allowing people who were previously unable to take aspirin to avoid suffering the symptoms of gastric pain. The result, though, has been an increase in GI bleeding. The Boston University School of Medicine did a study of 550 patients with GI bleeding. They found that those who took more than 325 mg. of buffered aspirin daily were seven times more likely to suffer from GI problems.
Where Did the Claim Come From?
The authors of the study, A. Agrawal and I.S. Fentiman of Guy's Hospital in the UK, did not do new research. They searched the MEDLINE database for research that focused on finding a connection between NSAIDs and breast cancer prevention or treatment. They also looked for studies that tried to find the mechanism of a presumed connection between NSAIDs and breast cancer. These were the only criteria used to select articles - criteria that clearly show intent to find a certain result: that NSAIDs lower the risk of breast cancer. This is hardly a balanced approach to research, as the desired result was predetermined.
The studies selected were far from consistent. They found one study, published in 2001, that claims an 18% decrease in the risk of breast cancer, associated primarily with aspirin, not other NSAIDs. Another study from 2003 reported similar results. Another large study produced the same year showed no risk reduction. The authors frankly acknowledged that this was a particularly good and large study. Studies published later show a range of results. Some indicated an increase in breast cancer with high doses of NSAIDs.
The authors of this metastudy make claims for reduced risk of breast cancer, but acknowledge that they do not know what an appropriate NSAID dose would be. The authors start their conclusion with the sentence, "Among studies evaluating the relationship between NSAIDs and breast cancer risk, some found no association whereas others have reported inverse associations."
They go on to point out that a trial of Celecoxib, with the catchy name of REACT (Randomized European Celecoxib Trial) is currently underway. This should strike a note of fear, as Celecoxib has been implicated in a huge range of life-threatening disorders, including liver damage, kidney damage, irregular heart rhythm, gastrointestinal perforation and hemorrhage, edema, osteoarthritis, thrombocytosis, hepatitis, coronary artery disease, bacterial infection, fungal infection, diabetes, and a host of others. Part of the trial will also include tamoxifen, another discredited drug, noted for causing blood clots, endometrial cancer, and stroke. The authors' anticipation of this trial's results is clearly indicated in the sentence, "End-points are disease free survival together with overall survival and toxicity."
To their credit, Agrawal and Fentiman do acknowledge that their article does not take into account the risks associated with NSAIDs and that such a study would need to be done before recommending their use for prevention of breast cancer. Nonetheless, they make the claim that NSAIDs, especially aspirin, appears to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 20%, though they provide absolutely no data to support that claim.
A close inspection of the study makes you wonder how the news media gets its information about studies like this.
What Problems Exist in Taking Aspirin Routinely?
Now, let's take a look at the risks involved in taking aspirin routinely, which is what all these news media articles indicate women should be doing.
Stroke
One of the standard claims about aspirin is that it limits the risk of stroke. The logic is that aspirin is a blood thinner, therefore strokes are less likely when you take it because they're caused by blood clots. There's an obvious flaw in this thinking. Some strokes are caused by the opposite of blood clots; they're caused by bleeding in the brain. It should have been obvious that routinely taking aspirin, or any blood thinner, carries the risk of increasing the incidence of bleeding strokes.
A study spanning 25 years published in the medical journal, Lancet Neurology, showed a seven-fold increase in the incidence of bleeding stroke in people over age 75 who take aspirin.
Reye's Syndrome
Children under age 12 who take aspirin may develop life-threatening Reye's Syndrome. It causes multiple organ disorders and failure. The brain may swell. Cardiac arrest may occur. There is no cure for it. Children often die or are left with permanent disabilities. Though rare, the effects of Reye's Syndrome are so severe that giving aspirin to a child should simply never be done.
Pancreatic Cancer
A study of nearly 90,000 women at Brigham and Women's Hospital, spanning 18 years, shows a 58% increased risk of pancreatic cancer when the participants took more than two aspirin a week. When they took more than 14, the risk became 86% higher.
Gastrointestinal Harm
Bleeding and ulcers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are no small matter. 20,000 Americans die each year from such damage caused by aspirin, and another 100,000 go to the hospital for these injuries.
NSAID-SSRI Cocktail
Researchers in East Anglia, UK, did a metastudy of four trials, which followed 153,000 patients who took a combination of NSAIDs and SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - drugs routinely prescribed for depression and other emotional issues. Those who took only SSRIs had a 2.4 times greater risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Those who took only NSAIDs had a 3.2 times greater risk of such hemorrhages. When an SSRI was taken with an NSAID, the risk rose to 6.3 times that of people who took neither.
Buffered Aspirin
To reduce the risk of GI problems from aspirin, people often take buffered forms. These pills are coated with a chemical that neutralizes stomach acid, allowing people who were previously unable to take aspirin to avoid suffering the symptoms of gastric pain. The result, though, has been an increase in GI bleeding. The Boston University School of Medicine did a study of 550 patients with GI bleeding. They found that those who took more than 325 mg. of buffered aspirin daily were seven times more likely to suffer from GI problems.
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The Aim of Public Education is Not to Spread Enligtenment at All; It is Simply to Reduce as Many Individuals as Possible to the Same Safe Level, to Breed a Standard Citizenry, to Put Down Dissent and Originality. ~ HL Mencken |
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The Cure for Health Care and Indigenous Power is to Remove the AMA and FDA, and Unleash the Power and Creativity of the Free Market. Many People Have Been Brainwashed into Thinking the State Protects Them. The Truth is the Exact Opposite. ~ Morris Fishbein |
|
You may find links that lead to
interesting information, or there
may be links to undesirable sites.
If you find any of these undesirables,
PLEASE let us know the URLs so
we can block them from our campaign. |