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The results of a recent national trail show that a daily dose of aspirin
reduces the risk of polyp recurrence in people with a history of colon polyps.
But before you reach for the aspirin bottle, read on.
Called the Aspirin-Folate Polyp Prevention Study, the trial involved 1,121
otherwise healthy men and women who previous had Adenomatous polyps removed
during routine colonoscopies. Study researchers determined that daily intake of
81 mg of aspirin – the equivalent of one baby aspirin – reduced the risk of
adenoma recurrence by 19 percent in the study group.
"This small dose of aspirin is the equivalent of what millions of
Americans are already taking to prevent heart attacks," says Carol Burke,
M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Colon Polyps and Cancer
Prevention.
Interestingly, a daily 325- mg does of aspirin was less effective than a baby
aspiring in preventing adenoma recurrence. "In fact, those subjects taking
the larger aspirin dose experienced only a 4 percent reduction in risk,"
says Dr. Burke. "The reasons for this are unclear."
Studies have found evidence that people using aspirin and other
anti-inflammatory medications had a lower risk of colorectal cancer. This
cheomprevention study, however, was the first to specifically determine aspirin’s
effectiveness in preventing colon polyps in people with an individual history.
The Cleveland Clinic, in addition to several institutions in the United States,
participated in the study.
Although this is exciting news for people who have had adenomatous polyps
removed, Dr. Burke cautions that medications should not be taken unless directed
by a physician. "Even aspirin has potential side effects. It can interfere
with blood clotting and cause bleeding and gastrointestinal ulcers," she
explains.
Because of the potential complications of regular aspirin intake,
gastroenterologists, as well as federal health officials, have not endorsed the
baby-aspiring-a-day recommendation solely to reduce the risk of colon polyps or
cancer. However, for the millions of Americans already using chemoprevention to
prevent heart attacks, this latest benefit makes aspirin that much more
appealing.
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