Asprin or Paracetamol for the Heart
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi they say that asprin is good for the heart and now breast cancer. Do they mean paracetamol I don't think they make aspro's any more. thank's Kevin
Dear Kevin: Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) has several different effects: Analgesic (pain relief), anti-pyretic (reduces fever), anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet (prevents blood clot formation in high risk patients), Therefore it is not equivalent to paracetamol, which only works as an analgesic and anti-pyretic. The side-effects are gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers, tinnitus and Reye’s syndrome in children. If you have any risk factors for cardiovascular disease; high blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history, smoking, diabetes; a low dose aspirin a day may prevent risk of a cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 May 2010 )
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