July 22, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In today's society, people are living longer, making identifying treatments to prolong a life that is free of physical disability and memory problems increasingly important. To that end, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers are taking a hard look at aspirin as a potentially useful drug in the fight for health and longevity.
It has been known for many years that aspirin - which is cheap and widely available - prevents heart attacks and strokes in people with established heart disease. However, aspirin's long-term effect on people without a history of cardiovascular disease is less certain.
To help clear up some of these uncertainties, the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine is participating in the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study, which is designed to assess whether daily consumption of low-dose aspirin can increase the life span for healthy people age 70 and older and help them live with less physical and cognitive impairment.
"Very little scientific information is available about the overall effects of aspirin in older adults, because most trials have focused on middle-aged people," said Cora E. Lewis, M.D., principal investigator of the study at UAB. "The ASPREE study will determine whether the potential benefits of low-dose aspirin outweigh the risks, including bleeding, for elderly people."
UAB will enroll 200 healthy participants over age 70 in the ASPREE study; a total of 6,500 will be enrolled at seven other sites in the United States and another 12,500 in Australia. All eligible participants will be randomly assigned to take either low-dose aspirin or a placebo daily for about five years. Patients will receive initial measurements on specific health markers, as well as functional and cognitive ability. Any changes in these will be monitored throughout the study.
The ASPREE study is being conducted in partnership between Monash University, the Berman Center for Outcomes and Clinical Research in Minneapolis, Minn., and the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
"Aspirin is very promising as a way to prevent important health problems, and it is very cheap and readily available," Lewis said. "If we find out that it works to prevent health problems that our seniors are really concerned about, for example, dementia, that will be huge. Because a lot of people already take aspirin in hopes that it could prevent heart disease or stroke, it would also is critical to know if there are more risks than benefits."
For more information about participating in the ASPREE study, call 205-934-2294.
About the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine
The UAB Division of Preventive Medicine is dedicated to medicine and the health of the public through research, teaching and dissemination and translation of knowledge for improved health outcomes. From its inception in 1967, the division has played a key role in many groundbreaking trials contributing to the knowledge of medical and health systems, behavioral aspects of disease, epidemiology, prevention, control, and disease outcomes.