Regular Aspirin Use Incurs Health Benefits

A new study concludes that average-risk adults who used aspirin regularly for at least five years had a lower risk of cancer, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and premature death.

Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London (United Kingdom), the University of Milan (Italy), and other institutions reviewed current data and assessed the benefits and harms of prophylactic use of aspirin on colorectal, esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, lung, prostate, and breast cancer. They also examined aspirin's effects on the risk of MI and stroke, and calculated the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, peptic ulcer, and major extracranial bleeding.

The results showed that for average-risk individuals aged 50–65 years who had been taking aspirin for 10 years, there would be a relative reduction of between 7% (for women) and 9% (for men) in the number of cancer, MI, or stroke events over a 15-year period, and an overall 4% relative reduction in all deaths over a 20-year period; the largest and most consistent benefits were seen in colorectal cancer reduction. Excess bleeding was the most important harm associated with aspirin use, and its risk and fatality rate increased with age.

The researchers found that the effects of aspirin on cancer do not become apparent until at least three years after the start of use, and some benefits are sustained for several years after cessation in long-term users. No differences between low and standard doses of aspirin were observed, while higher doses did not confer additional benefit, but did increase toxicities. Doses between 75 and 325 mg/day appeared to have a favorable benefit–harm profile. The study was published online on August 5, 2014, in Annals of Oncology.

“It has long been known that aspirin, one of the cheapest and most common drugs on the market, can protect against certain types of cancer, but until our study, where we analyzed all the available evidence, it was unclear whether the pros of taking aspirin outweighed the cons,” said lead author Jack Cuzick, PhD, of Queen Mary, and colleagues. “Whilst there are some serious side effects that can't be ignored, taking aspirin daily looks to be the most important thing we can do to reduce cancer after stopping smoking and reducing obesity, and will probably be much easier to implement.”

Aspirin—acetylsalicylic acid—is a salicylate drug often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It has also been found effective at preventing certain types of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer. Aspirin also has an antiplatelet effect by inhibiting the production of thromboxane, which is one of the reasons it is used long-term, at low doses, to help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and blood clot formation in people at high risk.

Related Links:
Queen Mary, University of London
University of Milan