Can aspirin be helpful in prevention?

It is a hundred-year-old drug that has become very popular: aspirin. It was used especially during the Spanish flu epidemic at the beginning of the twentieth century, and today it is the subject of study by Israeli researchers. at FEBS MagazineThey presented the results of an experiment on the protective effects of acetylsalicylic acid, the generic name for aspirin, against Covid-19. According to their findings, people who use aspirin to prevent: Cardiovascular disease They are less likely to contract the virus.

Fewer Covid-19 infections

In total, the researchers analyzed data from more than 10,000 people who had been tested Covid-19 Between February 1 and June 30, 2020. ‘Using aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease was associated with a 29% lower risk of Covid-19, compared to people who did not take aspirin.In the group of people infected with the virus, the study determines the proportion of people who take it aspirin It was lower compared to its share in the negative group. In addition, Israeli researchers also found that people with Covid-19 who take aspirin generally get sick for a shorter period of time, and the time between the last positive test and the first negative test, which indicates the end of the infection, is shorter. . “These observations about the potential beneficial effects of low-dose aspirin on Covid-19 are preliminary, but they appear very promising“More research is needed with larger samples of patients, and from other countries, in order to verify the results,” says Eli Magen, director of research.

Is Aspirin Really Good for the Heart?

The effect of aspirin on the prevention of Cardiovascular disease Discusses the. About 30 years ago, researchers found that the drug reduced risks in patients with a family history or increased risk factors. In 2016, Prof. American team He even estimated that if everyone at risk in the United States took it, 900,000 deaths could be avoided in twenty years. Although, Multiple searches These potential benefits contrast: they remind us that taking aspirin increases the risk of bleeding, especially in the stomach and brain. In France, it is recommended that this drug be prescribed only as a preventive treatment for patients without diabetes who have a high risk to the cardiovascular system. In the United States, only people between the ages of 40 and 70 are affected. While the results of this Israeli study appear encouraging, aspirin should not be taken as a self-medication, but only after a prescription.