New Aspirin Mechanism

It appears from this that aspirindraws out the nitric oxide and in the process slows the development ofplaques.  This begs the question ofnitric oxide’s role in the body and if it is a prime mover of heart disease.  It is certainly suggestive.

Aspirin therapy is nowcommon and is recommended for anyone over fifty.  Recall ninety percent of all men have CVD atthe age of sixty and this is the one safe thing one can do to minimize theeffect and real danger.  Get medicaladvice of course and use coated forms of the medicine to avoid rare spot damagein the intestine.

Why is nitric oxide in thewalls and is it concentrated?

Even slowing theprogression of plaques gives the body the time to properly encase and seal ofwhat damage exists.  This could explainthe drop in heart attack rate.

Investigators First to Show New Mechanism forBeneficial Effects of Aspirin in Cardiovascular Disease

Released: 12/1/2010 4:00 PM EST 

Source: Florida Atlantic University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/571303/?sc=dwhn

FAU principal investigator who was the first to demonstrate thataspirin prevents a first heart attack or first stroke publishes new mechanismin Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Newswise — Charles H.Hennekens, M.D., DrPH, the first Sir Richard Doll Research Professor in theCharles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, haspublished the results of A Randomized Trial of Aspirin at Clinically RelevantDoses and Nitric Oxide Formation in Humans in the current issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology andTherapeutics. These are the first data in humans to show that all dosesof aspirin used in clinical practice increase nitric oxide. Nitric oxide isreleased from the blood vessel wall and may decrease the development andprogression of plaques leading to heart attacks and strokes.

Hennekens and hiscolleagues randomized patients at high risk of a first heart attack or stroketo different doses of aspirin for 12 weeks. All doses produced highlysignificant beneficial effects on two important and well documented markers ofnitric oxide formation.

Hennekens was also thefirst researcher to demonstrate that aspirin prevents a first heart attack.“While the ability of aspirin to decrease the clumping of blood platelets issufficient to explain why the drug decreases risks of heart attacks andstrokes, these data suggest a new and novel mechanism,” said Hennekens.

Hennekens and hiscolleagues are proposing new and longer term research to the NationalInstitutes of Health to test whether this hypothesis has clinical or publichealth relevance.

The American HeartAssociation recommends aspirin use for patients who have had a myocardialinfarction (heart attack), unstable angina, ischemic stroke (caused by bloodclot) or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs or "little strokes"), ifnot contraindicated. This recommendation is based on a large body of evidencefrom randomized trials showing that aspirin reduces risks of heart attack,stroke and death from vascular diseases. In primary prevention, aspirinprevents a first heart attack, but the data on stroke and vascular death arenot yet conclusive. The decision as to whether to use the drug should be anindividual clinical judgment by the healthcare provider.

– FAU –

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida AtlanticUniversity opened its doors in 1964 asthe fifth public university in Florida.Today, the University serves more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduatestudents on seven campuses and sites. Building on its rich tradition as ateaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts 10 colleges: theDorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the College of Business, theCollege for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College ofEngineering & Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. WilkesHonors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E.Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. For moreinformation, visit www.fau.edu.