I don't have any questions, I just wanted to thank you for bringing life back to me.
I was so sick and now I am feeling as good as I did twenty years ago! It has been a long battle: no energy, aches and pains going from one
Dr. to the next. They told me it was anything from arthritis to depression; they had me on steroids for three years... All behind me now!
I just don't know how to thank you. I think it would be wonderful if you could just be everywhere with your caring heart. Information and the
real reason behind all of the bad, sick days that so many of us have had.
Sincerely, Jessica...@telusplanet.net
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Information presented here is for general educational purposes only. Each one of us is biochemically and metabolically different. If you have a specific health concern and wish my personalized nutritional recommendation, write to me by clicking here.
Aspirin and Atherosclerosis
Michael Lam, MD, MPH
www.DrLam.com
After decades of research, it is still unclear as to whether
aspirin can prevent the chances of an atherosclerotic event, even though
there has been many studies with immense bases.
The third meta-analysis from the Antithrombotic Trialists' Collaboration
contains data on over 100 000 patients at high risk of atherosclerotic events,
representing more than 250 000 patient years of follow up. This meta-analysis,
together with its 2 predecessors, forms the main argument for the widespread
recommendation of prescribing aspirin to these high-risk patients.
Till now, the results
are inconclusive.
Summary Points:
The choice of the Antithrombotic Trialists' Collaboration to advise aspirin
for patients at high risk of atherosclerotic events is arbitrary and suspect
since very few trials have actually managed to demonstrate the benefits
of antiplatelet agents. In fact, it seems that the antiplatelet agents
are more effective in reducing the incidence of non-fatal events, rather
than reducing the death rate itself.
The effects of antiplatelet agents can be threefold: by genuinely reducing
the rate of nonfatal events, by concealing them, or by converting non-fatal
events into fatal ones. Among other large long-term trials, there
is no evidence whatsoever that aspirin saves lives of patients after myocardial
infarction. This suggests that aspirin merely reduces
mortality rate by concealing vascular events, rather than actually preventing
them.
Epidemiological data suggest that 25% of nonfatal myocardial infarctions are silent.
As aspirin, even at low doses, is an analgesic and because it may provoke
dyspepsia, which may create confusion about the cause of chest pain, it
is not difficult to believe that aspirin could increase the proportion
of silent events from 25% to 30%. This could explain all the benefits
of antiplatelet agents on nonfatal myocardial in the meta-analysis.
Aspirin increased the risk of sudden death
in every long-term study after myocardial infarction that reported such
events.
What you should know
Aspirin is not as good as it sounds, even at the baby aspirin dosage of
81 mg used every day or every other day. To prevent atherosclerosis,
one needs to concentrate on building the collagen matrix that improves elasticity
and repair vascular integrity. Aspirin is seldom needed to be used as a
blood thinner as there are better natural compounds such as vitamin E 400
to 800 I.U. and ginkgo biloba 120 mg.
Message from Dr. Lam
I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. If you have areas you don't understand,
or if you have a specific health concern, feel free to write to me by
clicking here.
About The Author
Michael Lam, M.D., M.P.H., A.B.A.A.M. is a specialist in Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, California. He also holds a Masters of Public Health degree and is Board Certified in Anti-aging Medicine by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. He has authored numerous articles and the following books: The Five Proven Secrets to Longevity, How to Stay Young and Live Longer, Estrogen Dominance - Hormonal Imbalance of the 21st Century, and Beating Cancer with Natural Medicine.
For More Information
For the latest anti-aging related health issues, visit Dr. Lam at
www.DrLam.com.
Feel free to email Dr. Lam by clicking
here if you have any questions.
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