Aspirin really can save lives, say Oz researchers

NEW DELHI - A new Australian study has revealed that the humble painkiller aspirin really can save lives and drastically reduce rates of stroke and heart attack.

Meg Jardine from the George Institute for Global Health said there has been uncertainty over whether the analgesic, which has blood-thinning properties, should be used more broadly to combat cardiovascular disease.

“Until now there’s been no clear evidence that aspirin therapy benefits people at high risk of heart disease and stroke, including those with chronic kidney disease,” said Jardine.

Jardine and her fellow researchers analysed data from an international study of over 18,000 people with high blood pressure aged between 50 and 80 - about 20 percent of who had mild to moderate Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

It showed that daily aspirin use over a four-year window could prevent 54 deaths, 40 strokes and 40 non-fatal heart attacks for every 1,000 people with kidney disease.

There was a particular benefit for people who had survived one heart attack or stroke, as daily aspirin was shown to help stave off a recurrence.

Jardine also took into account the increased number, and severity, of internal bleeding cases that would occur as the downside of its blood-thinning side-effects.

“We found the cost for preventing deaths and reducing the incidence of heart attacks and strokes was that there would be an additional 27 major and 12 minor bleeds in every 1,000 people with CKD taking aspirin,” English.news.cn quoted Jardine as telling ABC News.

The study was in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. (ANI)