Aspirin
hideAspirin (USAN), also known as acetylsalicylic acid (pronounced /əˌsɛtɪlsælɪˌsɪlɪk ˈæsɪd/, abbreviated ASA), 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.
Aspirin also has an antiplatelet effect by inhibiting thromboxane prostaglandins, which under normal circumstances bind platelet molecules together to repair damaged blood vessels. This is why aspirin is used in long-term, low doses to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and blood clot formation in people at high risk for developing blood clots. It has also been established that low doses of aspirin may be given immediately after a heart attack to reduce the risk of another heart attack or of the death of cardiac tissue.
The main undesirable side effects of aspirin are gastrointestinal ulcers, stomach bleeding, and tinnitus, especially in higher doses. In children and adolescents, aspirin is no longer used to control flu-like symptoms or the symptoms of chickenpox or other viral illnesses, due to the risk of Reye's syndrome.
Aspirin was the first discovered member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), not all of which are salicylates, although they all have similar effects and most have inhibition of the enzyme cyclooxygenase as their mechanism of action. Today, aspirin is one of the most widely used medications in the world, with an estimated 40,000 metric tons of it being consumed each year. In countries where Aspirin is a registered trademark owned by Bayer, the generic term is acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).
For more information about Aspirin, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with aspirin
Painkiller undermines aspirin's anti-clotting action
17 hours ago |
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Millions of Americans take Celebrex for arthritis or other pain. Many, if they are middle-aged or older, also take a low-dose aspirin tablet daily to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Yet they may be getting little ...
Got a pain? -- Have a cup of Brazilian mint
Nov 24, 2009 |
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For thousands of years it has been prescribed by traditional healers in Brazil to treat a range of ailments from headaches and stomach pain to fever and flu.
Aspirin, tylenol may decrease effectiveness of vaccines
Dec 01, 2009 |
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With flu season in full swing and the threat of H1N1 looming, demand for vaccines is at an all-time high. Although those vaccines are expected to be effective, University of Missouri researchers have found further evidence ...
Silver nanoparticles show 'immense potential' in prevention of blood clots
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
May 27, 2009 |
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Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential new alternative to aspirin, ReoPro, and other anti-platelet agents used widely to prevent blood clots in coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. ...
Can heart disease treatments combat AMD?
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Can treatments that reduce risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) also help combat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that affects millions of Americans? CVD and AMD share some risk factors-such as smoking, ...
Preventing repeat strokes -- are survivors taking their medicine?
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Since 1999, stroke survivors have been advised to use aspirin, prescription antiplatelet agents, or prescription anticoagulants to help avoid another stroke. Many large surveys of the U.S. population have reported the use ...
Aspirin misuse may have made 1918 flu pandemic worse
Oct 02, 2009 |
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The devastation of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic is well known, but a new article suggests a surprising factor in the high death toll: the misuse of aspirin. Appearing in the November 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Di ...
Researchers: Aspirin cuts colon cancer risk
Sep 21, 2009 |
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(AP) -- People with a genetic susceptibility to colon cancer could cut their chances of developing the disease in half by taking a daily dose of aspirin, researchers said Monday.
FDA panel: Lower maximum daily dose of Tylenol
Medicine & Health / Medications
Jun 30, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Government experts called for sweeping safety restrictions Tuesday on the most widely used painkiller, including reducing the maximum dose of Tylenol and eliminating prescription drugs such as Vicodin ...
Aspirin shows promise for colon cancer patients
Aug 11, 2009 |
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Men and women who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and began regular use of aspirin had a lower risk of overall and colorectal cancer death compared to patients not using aspirin, according to a study in the August 12 ...
Aspirin and similar drugs may be associated with brain microbleeds in older adults
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Apr 13, 2009 |
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Individuals who take aspirin or other medications that prevent blood clotting by inhibiting the accumulation of platelets appear more likely to have tiny, asymptomatic areas of bleeding in the brain, according to a report ...
Benefit of aspirin for healthy people is uncertain
May 29, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has shown that, while taking aspirin is beneficial in preventing heart attacks and strokes among people with established cardiovascular disease (secondary prevention), its benefits ...
Aspirin improves survival in women with stable heart disease, study
Medicine & Health / Medications
Mar 12, 2009 |
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New results from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study provide additional evidence that aspirin may reduce the risk of death in postmenopausal women who have heart disease or who have had a stroke. Jacques ...
Organometallic compounds as new drugs? Cobalt-containing aspirin complex with potential anti-tumor properties
Jan 13, 2009 |
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Despite considerable progress in modern chemotherapy, there remains a large demand for innovative anti-tumor agents. A new approach involves modeling the pharmacological properties of established drugs with organometallic ...
Popular anti-platelet therapy reduces risk of cardiovascular events in men and women
Nov 10, 2009 |
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A new study, published in the November 17, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, adds to a growing body of research seeking to evaluate and understand possible sex differences associated with a ...
