If this is not your name, click here.
| | If this is not your name, click here. | | |
| | Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague | | |
| |  Alzheimer's Stroke Link Suggests Aspirin's Benefits Says Study MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J., March 12, 1997 -- New research suggesting a link between small strokes and the onset of Alzheimer's disease symptoms may dramatically highlight the importance of aspirin in stroke prevention. Dr. Steven Weisman, Director of Medical Affairs for the Bayer Corporation Consumer Care Division, producer of Bayer Aspirin, said the Alzheimer's study, by University of Kentucky researcher David A. Snowden and published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, "may further emphasize the importance of a daily aspirin regimen for some people who are at risk for stroke." In the study of 102 nuns aged 76 to 100, researchers discovered that as few as one small stroke in a strategic region of the brain may not only increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's symptoms but the severity of those symptoms as well. Symptoms of the disease, which affects millions of people and costs billions in health care, include memory loss, disorientation and dementia. Weisman points out that symptoms such as a sudden, severe headache, dimness or loss of vision, especially in one eye; loss of speech or problems understanding speech, weakness in the face, extremities or one side of the body; dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall can all point to a stroke in progress. "However, these symptoms may not be taken seriously if they occur for only a brief time and they may also be confused with the aging process," he said. According to Weisman, the latest Alzheimer's research comes at a time when the importance of aspirin in stroke prevention is gaining much more public awareness. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in 1980, approved use of the drug to reduce the risk of stroke after a "transient ischemic attack" -- the occurrence of stroke warning signs or a mini-stroke. In 1985, the FDA approved the use of aspirin to prevent heart attack in persons who had experienced a previous heart attack or unstable angina. Last year, the FDA proposed new labeling for the use of aspirin during a suspected heart attack. This was followed by a recommendation to the FDA by two of its committees earlier this year that professional labeling for aspirin be expanded to include other people at high risk of heart attack or stroke. The Snowden research is the second study on Alzheimer's disease to be released this week. Earlier, research published in the journal Neurology had suggested that the risk of Alzheimer's disease might be reduced by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, aspirin is the only anti-inflammatory pain reliever that also has anti-platelet effects (prevents blood clotting) and it is this action that makes it effective in preventing stroke, Weisman explained, adding that people should consult with their doctor before initiating an aspirin regimen.
|
