Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola 3/1/2023
Story at-a-glance • For decades, a daily regimen of low-dose so-called “baby aspirin” (81milligrams), was recommended to prevent and treat heart attack, stroke and angina (chest pain) in those 50 and older
• That began to change in 2014, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration started warning against the use of aspirin as a primary preventive for these conditions. In late 2021, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) also updated its guidance to formally discourage people 60 and older from using an aspirin regimen to prevent a first heart attack or stroke
• Aspirin is likely the victim of an intentional pharma discrediting campaign to justify and promote the use of newer, patented and far more expensive nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and anticoagulants
• Research has shown aspirin works just as well as pricier anticoagulants such as heparin and Xarelto for preventing post-operative blood clots and clots associated with bone fractures
• Aspirin also increases the oxidation of glucose as fuel, and has anti-lipolytic effects, so it helps lower both the supply of dangerous omega-6 fat to your cells and the excessive oxidation of fats. Aspirin will also lower your baseline cortisol, indirectly by lowering inflammation, and directly by inhibiting the enzyme that synthesizes active cortisol from the inactive precursor cortisone
There are many instances in which a perfectly safe and effective medicine has become the target of an unjustified discrediting campaign in order to push newer patented (and hence profitable) drugs to the forefront. Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine are by now two well-known examples. Long before that, however, there was a concerted effort to discredit aspirin.
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) was introduced in 1899 as an alternative to sodium salicylate,1 a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory known for its unpleasant side effects such as stomach cramps, heartburn, nausea and vomiting. It's been a staple medicine in most households ever since, and is frequently recommended as a remedy to control inflammation and prevent blood clots.
The Changing Stance on Aspirin
For decades, a daily regimen of low-dose so-called "baby aspirin" (81 milligrams), was recommended to prevent and treat heart attack, stroke and angina (chest pain) in those 50 and older. Pharma started attacking aspirin in the 1970s when the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were introduced as patented far more expensive, but not more effective alternatives.
The discrediting campaign increased in 2014, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration started warning against the use of aspirin as a primary preventive for these conditions in those with no history of cardiovascular disease, due to potential side effects and the lack of data to support its use.2
In late 2021, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a physician group that issues guidance for medical best practices, also updated its guidance to formally discourage people 60 and older from using an aspirin regimen to prevent a first heart attack or stroke.3
According to the USPSTF, "the chance of internal bleeding increases with age," so "the potential harms of aspirin use cancel out the benefits in this age group." USPSTF member Dr. John Wong, interim chief scientific officer and professor of medicine at Tufts Medical Center, told ABC News:4
"People who are 40 to 59 years old and don't have a history of cardiovascular disease but are at higher risk may benefit from starting to take aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. It's important that they decide together with their healthcare professional if starting aspirin is right for them because daily aspirin does come with possible serious harms."
Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, added:
"It is important for the public to understand that for the vast majority of Americans without pre-existing heart disease, aspirin does not provide a net benefit. The harms are approximately equal to any benefits. The USPSTF is just catching up with this widely accepted scientific viewpoint. For nearly 20 years the FDA has advised against routine use of aspirin for prevention in patients without heart disease."
As of December 2019, the FDA's website warns that "Every prescription and over-the-counter medicine has benefits and risks — even such a common and familiar medicine as aspirin. Aspirin use can result in serious side effects, such as stomach bleeding, bleeding in the brain, and kidney failure. No medicine is completely safe."
An Unjustified Discrediting Campaign
While I cannot prove it, I suspect aspirin has been (and still is) the target of a discrediting campaign for the simple reason that it competes with newer, far more expensive blood thinners and pain relievers.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) hit the market in the 1970s, and aspirin needed to be downplayed to justify these expensive patented drugs. That's still the case today. It's also competing against pricey anticoagulants such as Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Eliquis (apixaban).
More:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2023/03/01/aspirin-target-discrediting-campaign.aspx
