3 ms·

It is, as well as prevention of stroke and prevention of colon cancer. While in the same general category of NSAIDs, you should think of it as really being a d

It is, as well as prevention of stroke and prevention of colon cancer. While in the same general category of NSAIDs, you should think of it as really being a different animal. It has more of an antiplatelet effect than the other NSAIDs these articles are talking about which lead to decreased clotting.

YCode 10y ago
IIRC isn't the number needed to treat on aspirin pretty high, like in the thousands? I'm not sure how that compares with other treatments or the average but offhand it seems pretty high to the point of asking whether it's worth it.
- teuobk 10y ago
  It depends on what you're trying to prevent and what your risk factors are. For patients with existing heart disease or prior strokes, the NNT is between 50 and 333 depending on the outcome you're considering. Source: http://www.thennt.com/nnt/aspirin-for-cardiovascular-prevention-after-prior-heart-attack-or-stroke/ http://www.thennt.com/nnt/aspirin-for-cardiovascular-prevent... For prevention of a first heart attack or stroke, the NNT is between 1667 and 3000 depending on the outcome. Notable is that no deaths were prevented by the therapy. Source: http://www.thennt.com/nnt/aspirin-to-prevent-a-first-heart-attack-or-stroke/ http://www.thennt.com/nnt/aspirin-to-prevent-a-first-heart-a...
  - YCode 10y ago
    Ah, that makes more sense. I saw the 1667/3000 numbers and was very put off by them.
soundwave106 10y ago
Correct. Promoting aspirin as "good for the heart" is too generic of a phrase; such generalization may lead to healthy people unnecessarily taking a daily aspirin just because it is "good for the heart". Aspirin is prescribed for some specific conditions due to its antiplatelet effect. From what I understand, for normal healthy people, there isn't much benefit of daily aspirin. And, there is potential for some side effects -- in addition to the same stomach problems / heartburn issues that plague other NSAIDS also has some bleeding type issues due to the antiplatelet effect.
- emodendroket 10y ago
  > Correct. Promoting aspirin as "good for the heart" is too generic of a phrase; such generalization may lead to healthy people unnecessarily taking a daily aspirin just because it is "good for the heart". Well, Bayer runs (or ran) ads encouraging just that behavior.
  - cgvgffyv 10y ago
    > Well, Bayer runs (or ran) ads encouraging just that behaviour. Such a thing would never fly in Europe. They'd get laughed out of the room and sued.
    - emodendroket 10y ago
      Be that as it may, their German scruples didn't stop them from running a huge ad campaign in the US to this effect.
  - soundwave106 10y ago
    I remember those ads. Googling, it looks like the FTC did rebuke Bayer for their behavior in 2000. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070790/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070790/

YCode 10y ago

IIRC isn't the number needed to treat on aspirin pretty high, like in the thousands? I'm not sure how that compares with other treatments or the average but offhand it seems pretty high to the point of asking whether it's worth it.

teuobk 10y ago
It depends on what you're trying to prevent and what your risk factors are. For patients with existing heart disease or prior strokes, the NNT is between 50 and 333 depending on the outcome you're considering. Source: http://www.thennt.com/nnt/aspirin-for-cardiovascular-prevention-after-prior-heart-attack-or-stroke/ http://www.thennt.com/nnt/aspirin-for-cardiovascular-prevent... For prevention of a first heart attack or stroke, the NNT is between 1667 and 3000 depending on the outcome. Notable is that no deaths were prevented by the therapy. Source: http://www.thennt.com/nnt/aspirin-to-prevent-a-first-heart-attack-or-stroke/ http://www.thennt.com/nnt/aspirin-to-prevent-a-first-heart-a...
- YCode 10y ago
  Ah, that makes more sense. I saw the 1667/3000 numbers and was very put off by them.

soundwave106 10y ago

Correct. Promoting aspirin as "good for the heart" is too generic of a phrase; such generalization may lead to healthy people unnecessarily taking a daily aspirin just because it is "good for the heart". Aspirin is prescribed for some specific conditions due to its antiplatelet effect. From what I understand, for normal healthy people, there isn't much benefit of daily aspirin. And, there is potential for some side effects -- in addition to the same stomach problems / heartburn issues that plague other NSAIDS also has some bleeding type issues due to the antiplatelet effect.

emodendroket 10y ago
> Correct. Promoting aspirin as "good for the heart" is too generic of a phrase; such generalization may lead to healthy people unnecessarily taking a daily aspirin just because it is "good for the heart". Well, Bayer runs (or ran) ads encouraging just that behavior.
- cgvgffyv 10y ago
  > Well, Bayer runs (or ran) ads encouraging just that behaviour. Such a thing would never fly in Europe. They'd get laughed out of the room and sued.
  - emodendroket 10y ago
    Be that as it may, their German scruples didn't stop them from running a huge ad campaign in the US to this effect.
- soundwave106 10y ago
  I remember those ads. Googling, it looks like the FTC did rebuke Bayer for their behavior in 2000. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070790/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070790/