Also known as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), Aspirin works by blocking a certain natural substance in your body to reduce pain and swelling.
The use of Aspirin tablets includes to diminish fever and assuage mild to moderate pain from conditions, for example, muscle aches, toothache, common cold, and headaches. It can likewise be used to diminish pain and swelling in conditions like joint inflammation.
You might have heard the use of Aspirin for heart attacks. Well, there is indeed a link between aspirin and heart attack prevention.
A low daily dose of aspirin can help prevent a heart attack. Aspirin is a blood thinner. It may help prevent heart attacks by making it harder for platelets in the blood to clot.
A new study by the scientists at the University of Bristol determined whether Aspirin could reduce the risk of ischemic stroke and heart attack in patients with pneumonia. They also looked at if the drug could have a preventative role to play in primary care settings.
The study included patients with pneumonia, aged over 50, from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), a large UK primary care database, from inception until January 2019. The primary outcome was defined as the occurrence of both ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction (MI – heart attack), while either of those events happening individually was defined as the secondary outcome.
Of the 48,743 patients identified as eligible for inclusion in the study, the researchers found 8,099 aspirin users who were matched to 8,099 non-users also selected from the sample group.
It was found that the risk of the primary outcome (stroke and MI) was 36 percent lower in aspirin users compared to non-users. Aspirin users were found to have a 30 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke and 54 percent lower risk of MI.
Dr. Fergus Hamilton, Wellcome Doctoral Fellow at the University of Bristol and an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow at North Bristol NHS Trust, said:Â “This research paves the foundation for a clinical trial of aspirin in pneumonia, which remains the most common reason for admission to hospital in many countries.”
Scientists concluded, “This study provides supporting evidence that aspirin use is associated with reduced ischaemic events after pneumonia in a primary care setting. This drug may have a future clinical role in preventing this important complication.”
Journal Reference:
- F. Hamilton, D. Arnold, W. Henley, et al. ‘Aspirin reduces cardiovascular events in patients with pneumonia: a prior event rate ratio analysis in a large primary care database.’ DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02795-202