Community | October 04, 2011 | 32 comments

Regular Aspirin Users At Higher Risk Of Sight Problems, Research Suggests

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Buckeye_Bill
People who take a daily dose of aspirin are twice as likely to suffer blindness in later life, a study suggests. Research suggests link between asprin and macular degeneration.

Photo: ALAMY

By Martin Evans
2:36PM BST 03 Oct 2011

Researchers who tested more than 4,000 elderly people across Europe found that those who took the drug every day were twice as likely to be diagnosed with late stage age related macular degeneration as those who did not.

While the study provided no evidence of a causal link between aspirin and the condition, experts are now examining whether a regular dose somehow exacerbates the disease.

Millions of Britons are thought to take a daily dose of aspirin in order to lower the risk of suffering heart disease and strokes.

Studies have also suggested that regular small doses can help cut the risk of suffering from certain types of cancer.

But this latest study will increase concern among those who claim the drug can also have a number of damaging side effects.

(The entire article can be read @ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8804075/Regular-aspirin-users-at-higher-risk-o...)
  1. groups:
    Community
  2. tags:
    Health,  Aspirin,  Research Study
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32 comments // Regular Aspirin Users At Higher Risk Of Sight Problems, Research Suggests

  • Wyley_Wombat
    • +2
      Wyley_Wombat  

    • Macular degeneration, along with arthritis, stroke, and attacks of heart. are just possible consequences of that incurable malady known as aging. I have arthritis, brought on by having Lyme disease several times. I take an NSAID daily, and have been for a while. This will eventually kill me but until it does, I get to live with a lot less pain. As with a lot of things in life, it is a trade off. However, I would remind all who are concerned with all the hype about aspirin that acetominophen (read Tylenol here) has been proven to cause liver damage, and yet the FDA says it is safe to use. A bit of payola here more than likely. So when you are hung over, because your body is stressed from the alcohol, you whack your liver again with acetominophen. I will take the aspirin in this case thank you.

    • 8 months ago
  • timelord999
  • Buckeye_Bill
  • Buckeye_Bill
  • SFirman
    • +3
      SFirman  
    • Buckeye_Bill:

      Aspirin in its purist form is nothing more than the bark from a weeping willow tree or other type of willow tree. Its benefit outweighs its danger. As with all things, moderation is the keyword. Not long ago the TROLL went to a local pharmacy to get BORIC ACID to wash his eyes with. The pharmacist almost did not give it to him because he did not know that bori acid has been used that way for years. Also, the catnip you give your cat is a wonderful low grade tea for relaxation...for humans (altho you may start to wag you tail).

    • 8 months ago
  • Buckeye_Bill
    • +2
      Buckeye_Bill  
    • SFirman:

      "Aspirin in its purist form is nothing more than the bark from a weeping willow tree or other type of willow tree."

      Yuppers.....and all those "remedies" that Native Americans used are sooo beneficial to us today...herbal medicine has it's place in our society...and "school-trained" doctors are just beginning to learn of all it's wonders for the human body!

      And boric acid for flushing eyes, hydrogen peroxide for cleaning out earwax...and remember that song, "Put The Lime In The Coconut"...it WORKS for a nervous tummy!

      +^d

      }8^P (tongue hanging out the side of my face as I pant while my tail wags!)

    • 8 months ago
  • Ambill94
    • +4
      Ambill94  

    • Well said DEM46. I take daily aspirin for heart and want to see a causal connection before I get concerned. The headline was very misleading.

    • 8 months ago
  • DEM46
    • +3
      DEM46  

    • I believe the benefits outweigh the unsubstantiated cause and affect alleged here. Note they haven't made the causal link. So, be aware this may have nothing to do with Macular degeneration. I will wait and see if there is another study showing similar results before I get excited.

    • 8 months ago
  • letsliveinpeace
  • Buckeye_Bill
  • WagonMaster
    • +3
      WagonMaster  

    • I think I'll file this along with all the other " Research " studies I've seen over the years...like cranberries cause cancer and the like.

    • 8 months ago
  • ThirdSection
  • Buckeye_Bill
  • artemis6
  • Buckeye_Bill
  • Leen61
  • Buckeye_Bill
    • +6
      Buckeye_Bill  
    • Leen61:

      If one were to read all the research papers written, THAT could make a person go blind in and of itself!

      I get my daily dose of Vitamin Liquor! It's for shizzle good to the last drop! Hiccup!

      LOL

    • 8 months ago
  • SIBob
    • +6
      SIBob  
    • Image
    • Leen61:

      You are right Leen61, one study contradicts the other. My policy is, if something improves my quality of life, I take it. The long term effects are usually hidden from us until it is too late anyway. I mean, the pharmaceutical industry can’t be expected to behave responsibly. They have R & D costs to recoup, and super profits to accumulate, so they can repeat the same process all over again with the next “wonder drug”. The shame of it is that drugs that really work, and that save lives now, cost so much as to make it cost prohibitive for all but the best medical plans, or the richest people. We live in an age of medical miracles, that will remain farther and farther out of reach for the common people, especially if the radical right gets their way. http://sibob.org/wordpress/

    • 8 months ago
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
  • DEM46
    • +4
      DEM46  
    • Leen61:

      Don't believe anything unless there are two or more studies that show similar results with enough participants and reasonable length of time to be credible.

    • 8 months ago
  • Leen61
  • charliesommers
    • +6
      charliesommers  

    • Well let's see, I have atrial fibrillation and can't keep my blood thin with warfarin because it causes me to bleed internally, so on the advice of my cardiologist I take an aspirin daily. Should I opt for blindness or just go for a stroke and live the remainder of my life in a wheelchair? Wait... I have a better idea, I think I will just stop reading medical studies and go on doing the things I have always done.

      Now if I may be excused I am off to the kitchen to fix some heart healthy bacon and eggs for breakfast. At my mother's 99th birthday party (she lived to be 100) she was asked what she attributed her long life to. She answered, "Lots of pork fat, salt, and sugar!"

    • 8 months ago
  • Buckeye_Bill
    • +5
      Buckeye_Bill  
    • charliesommers:

      Tomorrow there will be an article how taking an aspirin daily will decrease the chances of reading research papers on aspirin!

      Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

      I subscribe to the concept of moderation in all things.

      If one were to drink a lot of water in a very short period of time, it could kill!

      So, since water COULD be dangerous, it is advised to not drink it!

      By the "experts", of course!

      }8^)

    • 8 months ago
  • oldbanjo
    • +1
      oldbanjo  
    • charliesommers:

      I agree with her, It depends on the genes, most of my family die in the 90's. All of my brothers and sister are over 60, none have health problems, bad knees of course. All of my cousins are healthy some are in the 70's. I eat what I want, and I love ice cream and eat it every day. I'm 6' 1" and stay between 190 and 195.

    • 8 months ago
  • cmc101
  • cmc101
  • Buckeye_Bill
    • +1
      Buckeye_Bill  
    • cmc101:

      Put sugar on it because that helps make everything go down better?

      I don't want no sugar on MY pill!

      Sometimes the truth is a bitter pill to swallow!

      I take my bad news bad....tasting truth is the first step in healing!

      }8^\

    • 8 months ago
  • Frosty46
  • Buckeye_Bill
  • cantucwearebrothers
  • charliesommers
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