2024-08-05 13:26:36
It also states that people who live unhealthy lives have benefited the most from the drug.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. in 2023 approximately 153,000 people are diagnosed with this disease in the US alone. people. Doctors warn that colon cancer is increasingly diagnosed in people younger than 55 years old. patients.
The causes of the disease can be genetic, but lifestyle factors, including unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking and a high body mass index (BMI), increase the risk of developing the disease.
Offered a new approach
In addition, doctors often recommend low doses of aspirin to patients. Such a recommendation has existed in the US since 2016, but in 2022. it was abandoned after growing concern that aspirin could cause bleeding.
After the change in recommendations, the authors of the new study decided to check whether there are people for whom the potential benefits of aspirin outweigh the risks.
The study was published Thursday in the journal JAMA Oncology the authors analyzed health data from 107,655 patients, most of whom were Caucasian.
Study participants were followed for at least a decade, and they also answered questions about their lifestyle. Their BMI, alcohol consumption and diet, smoking status and physical activity were assessed.
In this study, regular aspirin use was defined as taking 2 or more doses of regular-strength aspirin or 6 or more doses of lower-strength aspirin per week.
Regular aspirin users were found to have an 18 percent increased risk of developing colon cancer. lower than non-users.
Those with an unhealthy lifestyle benefited more, especially if they smoked or had a BMI greater than 25. A person with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is said to be overweight.
“Our results show that aspirin can proportionally reduce the significantly increased risk in those with multiple risk factors for colon cancer,” said lead study author Daniel Sikavi, MD, a gastroenterologist.
It is true, he added, that healthy people also benefited, but the impact on them was less obvious, because their risk of colon cancer is not that high.
The researchers could not verify why regular aspirin use appeared to be beneficial, but it has previously been suggested that aspirin may suppress pro-inflammatory signals that cause cancer.
Although previous studies have shown the benefits of aspirin in preventing colon cancer in certain populations, the results have been mixed, according to the authors of the new study.
In their view, doctors should consider a variety of lifestyle factors when determining whether a person should take aspirin regularly to prevent colon cancer.
Medicines will not replace a healthy lifestyle
Christina Annunziata, senior vice president of the American Cancer Society, noted that while the study has its flaws, it’s a good reminder that each of us can reduce our chances of developing colon cancer.
“There are habits you can change that will lower your risk,” said Annunziata, who was not involved in the new study.
She singled out maintaining a healthy body weight; a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains and less alcohol consumption.
Raymond DuBois, past president of the American Association for Cancer Research, has been tracking the changing aspirin recommendations for 20 years and is surprised by the mixed results. The specialist believes that the new study can help put all the dots together.
According to him, the study data show quite convincingly the positive effect of aspirin on the unhealthiest group of participants.
“We do our best to help people get healthier, but some people just find it very difficult to lose weight or quit smoking.” “Aspirin could help those in the highest risk group,” DuBois said.
He noted that low-dose aspirin has been shown to be beneficial, which may reduce concerns about the risk of bleeding.
Jennifer Davids, head of the colon and rectal surgery department at the Boston Medical Center (USA), warned that people should not engage in self-medication and start taking aspirin at will.
“It’s inexpensive, it’s readily available, but it has its own risks,” Davids said.
She thinks the new study is an important step in the right direction in trying to understand who aspirin might be most helpful for. However, patients should first consult their doctor before using aspirin.
In addition, the doctor emphasized that the population should not draw wrong conclusions. If you want to avoid diseases, you will still need to exercise a lot, eat healthy and avoid bad habits.
“This in no way means that aspirin is going to make up for all the other factors that are necessary for a healthy lifestyle and reducing cancer risk in general,” she said.
Prepared by CNN.
2024-08-05 13:26:36