Drug efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid

Drug efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid

Basic efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid

Analgesia and antipyretic

Aspirin can relieve headache in a short time through vasodilation, and its effect on dull pain is better than that on sharp pain. Therefore, the drug can relieve mild or moderate dull pain, such as headache, toothache, neuralgia, muscle pain and menstrual pain; At the same time, it can restore (reduce) the setting point of the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center that has been raised by bacterial pyrogen to the normal level, so it can also be used for relieving fever such as colds and flu. This product can only relieve symptoms and cannot cure the causes of pain and fever, so other drugs should be used at the same time.

Anti inflammation and anti rheumatism

Aspirin is the first choice for the treatment of rheumatic fever. It can relieve fever, reduce inflammation, improve joint symptoms, and reduce erythrocyte sedimentation rate. However, it cannot remove the basic pathological changes of rheumatism, nor prevent heart damage and other complications. If there is obvious myocarditis, it is generally advocated to use adrenocortical hormone first. After the rheumatism symptom is controlled and before the hormone is stopped, this product should be added to treat it, so as to reduce the rebound phenomenon caused after the hormone is stopped.

Treat arthritis

In addition to rheumatoid arthritis, this product is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, which can improve symptoms and create conditions for further treatment. In addition, the product can also relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile arthritis and other non rheumatic inflammatory skeletal muscle pain.

antithrombosis

This product can inhibit platelet aggregation and prevent thrombosis. It can be used clinically to prevent thrombosis after transient ischemic attack (TIA), myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, artificial heart valve, arteriovenous fistula or other operations. It can also be used to treat unstable angina pectoris.

Inhibition of platelet aggregation

Aspirin can inhibit the release of platelets and the aggregation of platelets.

Other effects of acetylsalicylic acid

Alleviate mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome (Kawasaki disease)

Resistance to cancer

On August 6, 2014, British scientists evaluated and analyzed all available evidence and concluded that taking aspirin every day can reduce the risk of suffering from or dying from gastric cancer and bowel cancer. If people over the age of 50 in the UK insist on taking aspirin every day for ten years, it may save about 122000 people from cancer in 20 years. [4]

But scientists also warned that aspirin can cause bleeding in the human body, so you must consult your doctor before taking aspirin for a long time. In the medical field, whether aspirin can be taken for a long time has been a controversial issue.  [4]

Scientists at Queen Mary’s College found that aspirin reduced the death rate of patients with intestinal, gastric and esophageal cancers by 30 to 40 percent.

Aspirin also plays a role in reducing the mortality of breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer, but the effect is not so obvious.  [4]

The study also found that the positive effect can only be seen after taking aspirin for at least 5 years.

The biggest side effects of long-term aspirin use include stomach bleeding and brain bleeding. The older you are, the greater the possibility of internal bleeding. After taking into account the side effects such as internal bleeding, the scientist conducting the research suggested that the long-term use of aspirin should be set as ten years, but the scientist warned that the doctor’s consent must be obtained before taking aspirin. [4]

Prevention of digestive tract tumors

Long term regular use of aspirin can greatly reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal tumors.

A new Dutch study shows that taking small doses of aspirin may help some patients with colon cancer improve their life expectancy. 

Researchers from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands analyzed 999 colon cancer patients who underwent surgery from 2002 to 2008. They found that 182 patients who took aspirin had a mortality rate of 37.9%, while 817 patients who did not take aspirin had a mortality rate of 48.5%. This data shows that aspirin is beneficial for patients with colon cancer.

Further analysis shows that if there is a special antigen called HLA-I in the cancer tissues of colon cancer patients, the adjuvant treatment of aspirin is “the most effective”. Otherwise, it may have no effect. Therefore, for patients diagnosed with colon cancer and whose tumors express HLA-I antigen, the use of aspirin can improve their life expectancy. 

This research result was published in the new issue of JAMA Internal Medicine. 

In the commentary article distributed by the magazine, Dr. Alfred Neugt of Columbia University pointed out that newly diagnosed colon cancer patients or their families often asked what they should do in addition to the normal medical plan. He had never recommended aspirin before, but was prepared to do so.