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The history of aspirin reaches back to the fifth century BC, when Hippocrates,' the father of medicine', used a bitter powder extracted from willow bark to ease pain and reduce fever. His discovery was to open a door to the world's safest and least expensive drug, of which over 80 billion are consumed each year.

It is perhaps astonishing that today's researchers are still developing new uses for this historically old drug and are constantly attempting to modify its chemical structure so that more people can benefit from its healing and preventative properties.


What's it used for?

The interest in aspirin comes from understanding the way it works and its variety of effects. In small doses it interferes with blood clotting; in medium doses it reduces fever and relieves minor aches and pains; and in high dosage it combats pain and inflammation in long-term rheumatoid arthritis.

A large number of studies have shown that aspirin is effective not only in preventing disease of blood vessels but also in substantially reducing the risk of death in a person having a severe attack of angina or a heart attack - aspirin is not just a pain reliever but can save lives as in the case of heart disease.

Other fields in which it promises to be useful are migraine, gum disease, cataracts and pre-eclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure in pregnancy). Some women with recurrent miscarriages are treated with a combination of aspirin and an anti-coagulant called heparin. There is some evidence that aspirin may help in preventing blood clots in the veins on long-haul plane journeys, though this is not as clear cut as the evidence about heart disease.

It is now a well-known standard practice that every patient who is at high risk of developing heart disease is given a small dose of aspirin daily, 75mg being the correct dose. Taking this small dose everyday has proven to save lives from those at risk of heart disease.


Are you at high risk for heart disease?

If you have any of the following conditions, which put you at risk of heart disease, you need to ask your doctor about the benefits of taking a small dose of aspirin each day:

1. High blood pressure
2. Diabetes
3. Previous heart attacks, or other arterial diseases such as angina, stroke, transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs, mini strokes), peripheral vascular disease
4. High cholesterol levels for which you are receiving drug treatment


The Disadvantages and Dangers
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As with most drugs there are potential risks as well as benefits in taking them regularly. Some people develop a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction and are completely unable to take aspirin or any of its derivatives. Other people may also need to be especially careful:

1. If you have asthma there is a small theoretical risk that it could become worse with aspirin, so watch out for increased wheeziness.
2. People who have had problems with stomach or duodenal ulcers should only take aspirin with another drug to protect their stomach lining, and under medical supervision.
3. In high doses aspirin can damage the kidneys.
Aspirin's antiplatelet activity can actually increase the risk of damaged blood vessels bleeding so it is unsuitable for people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease, or stomach ulcers.
4. Children under 12 should not take aspirin because they can develop a potentially life-threatening condition called Reye's syndrome in which many body organs fail and intensive life support therapy is needed.


When to use it?

It has NOT yet been conclusively proven that taking low-dose aspirin will reduce the risk of heart attacks in people who are not at high risk. For this reason and because of the above-mentioned other risks aspirin is not promoted as the wonder drug to stop your heart attack.

However, it is still worth carrying some with you, because it has been shown that the best thing to give someone with chest pain to reduce their risk of a full-blown heart attack is an aspirin.