Health-and-Fitness online information.

Aspirin is the original wonder drug. For a few pennies per pill, it eases pain and inflammation, thins the blood in a way that can help prevent heart attacks and strokes, and may even be useful against cancer. But it's less effective at what you probably take it for: preventing or easing post-exercise muscle soreness.

Salicylic acid, a natural substance found in plants, has been used as a folk remedy for arthritis for centuries. In looking for a kinder, gentler version, a German chemist named Felix Hoffman synthesized acetysalicylic acid, or aspirin, about 100 years ago. (P.S. He happened to work for a company called Bayer.)

Aspirin blocks a group of enzymes that synthesize prostaglandins, which are hormones that assist in pain, inflammation and blood clotting. Prostaglandins also help maintain the stomach lining, which is one reason that taking aspirin can lead to stomach irritation and, in rare instances, to ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding. Buffered or coated aspirin can reduce this effect; alcohol can make it worse.

WORKOUT WASHOUT?

While some guys take aspirin to prevent soreness after a tough workout, it probably won't help much, says Gabe Mirkin, M.D., co-author of The Sportsmedidne Book. In fact, a study at the University of Ulster in Ireland found that taking aspirin had no effect on post-exercise muscle soreness.

If aspirin doesn't work for you, other anti-inflammatories to try include ibuprofen, naproxen and keoprofen. You could also use liniment creams or patches, or just put up with moderate discomfort as part and parcel of the muscle-growing package. "If you exercise vigorously enough, your muscles will be sore," says Mirkin. So deal with it.

Could aspirin's prostaglandin blockage interfere with muscle recovery? "That's a theoretical concern, but nobody has ever demonstrated that aspirin delays healing," Mirkin says. "There's no evidence that it's harmful for an adult athlete to take it for occasional pain."

ONE PILL, SO MANY USES

* For occasional pain. Aspirin can effectively relieve mild headaches, toothaches or joint discomfort.

* For fever. Aspirin reduces fever by signaling the brain to widen blood vessels, allowing the body to cool. Adults can take it in cases of mild flu: Drink plenty of fluids, and see your doctor if your temperature goes above 101 or lasts longer than 48 hours.

* For arthritis. Because it eases both pain and inflammation, aspirin is commonly used as an arthritis remedy. But newer drugs may be more effective with fewer side effects, so ask your doctor.

* For heart protection. Aspirin can reduce a healthy person's chance of developing heart disease by 28 percent, and the Department of Health and Human Services suggests that men over 40--or younger men with risk factors for heart disease--take it daily. (Since regular consumption increases your risk of side effects, consult your physician.) Studies have found that baby aspirin (at 81 milligrams each) is as effective as regular aspirin (325 mg) in preventing coronary artery disease, yet it provokes less internal bleeding. You may also benefit from a "booster" of a regular aspirin twice a month.

* To mitigate heart attacks. At the first sign of heart-attack symptoms (such as pain or pressure in the chest or upper body, shortness of breath, cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness), call 911 immediately. Then chew two aspirin tablets--the anti-clotting effect will lower your risk of a blocked coronary artery.

* To protect against cancer. People who regularly take aspirin have less chance of developing stomach, lung or prostate cancers, possibly because blocking prostaglandins inhibits tumor growth. One study found that a daily baby aspirin reduces the recurrence of precancerous colon polyps by 19 percent.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:59 AM