Aspirin is heart attack While preventative benefits have been reported, new research indicates this common drug may also be associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.
The study, which analyzed data from 107,655 men and women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study over a 30-year period, was published Thursday in JAMA Oncology.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Washington University School of Medicine Regular aspirin use It was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, especially in people with unhealthy lifestyles.
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“There is evidence that regular low-dose aspirin use is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer (about 20 percent) in patients who are already at high risk for colon cancer for a number of reasons, including smoking and unhealthy diet,” said Dr. Mark Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. NYU Langone Medical Centerwho was not involved in the study.
Aspirin is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology. (iStock)
Criteria for determining an unhealthy lifestyle include high BMI, heavy smoking, high alcohol intake, lack of exercise, Malnutrition.
“We observed that participants in our study who led the unhealthiest lifestyles experienced the greatest absolute benefit from aspirin use,” Daniel Shikavi, MD, a board-certified physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and lead author of the study, told Fox News Digital.
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“These participants had multiple risk factors that increased their overall risk of developing colorectal cancer, but our findings indicate that aspirin can proportionately reduce this significantly elevated risk.”
Among the patients, Healthier lifestyleThe benefit of aspirin was still evident, but it was less pronounced.
Based on their findings, the researchers recommend that healthcare professionals consider recommending aspirin to patients with unhealthy lifestyles. (AP Photo/Emma H. Tobin)
“In the poorest health group, treating 78 patients with aspirin Colorectal cancer In the healthiest group, 909 patients would need to be treated to prevent one case, which would take more than 10 years,” Shikavi added.
As for why aspirin reduces the risk of colon cancer, Siegel said it’s likely because the drug acts as an anti-inflammatory, and many cancers are associated with increased inflammation.
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Based on their findings, the researchers suggest: Health care workers Consider recommending aspirin for patients who do not have a very healthy lifestyle.
The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 106,590 new cases of colorectal cancer and approximately 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. (iStock)
“This study is an example of how we can move away from a one-size-fits-all strategy in cancer prevention by targeting effective preventive medications such as aspirin to the populations most likely to benefit,” Shikavi said.
Potential limitations
Sikabi noted that one of the study’s limitations is that the researchers did not systematically evaluate potential side effects associated with aspirin use.
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“Because this is an observational study, we rigorously took into account known risk factors for colorectal cancer, but it is possible that there were additional factors that influenced our findings,” he said.
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Siegel said this Observational studies“That’s still not proof.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 106,590 new cases of colorectal cancer and approximately 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2024.
