US doctor Aspirin is said to protect against cancer

US doctor Aspirin is said to protect against cancer / Health News

Doctors: Aspirin is supposed to reduce cancer risk

09/08/2014

The American doctor David Agus has already become a kind of postar of the medical world through his numerous books. Several celebrities are among his patients. Among colleagues, however, he is controversial, among other things, because of his thesis that aspirin contributes to the prevention of cancer and other deadly diseases.


Among colleagues, the doctor is controversial
David Agus, an American doctor, has become a pop star in the medical world over the past few years. He has written numerous books and celebrities such as Steven Spielberg or Al Gore are among his patients. The 49-year-old was trained as an oncologist at the best universities in the United States, is now a professor at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles and also works for the „New York Times“ and the TV station „CBS“. Among colleagues, however, the physician is controversial, not least because of his theses on the protection against cancer and other life-threatening diseases and also because of his campaign against vitamin supplements.

Daily low-dose aspirin and cholesterol inhibitors
In his books Agus often emphasizes "personalized medicine". But to prevent cancer and other deadly diseases, he chooses another way, like the „world“ reported in a recent post. The physician quoted in his approach to the prevention of cancer, some studies that would prove: „People over the age of 40 who take low-dose aspirin and a cholesterol-based medication daily have a lower risk of dying of cancer, heart attack or stroke.“ According to Agus, this also applies to people with a healthy heart and normal cholesterol levels.

Medicines for nationwide prevention are a mistake
The US doctor stated that "both drugs block inflammation that plays a key role in causing many diseases“ played, from colon cancer to dementia. However, the recommendation of the American meets with criticism, also in Germany. So said Detlev Ganten, Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Medicine and until 2008 Chairman of the Berlin Charité opposite the „world“: „I consider it a dangerous aberration to use drugs everywhere to prevent it.“

Numerous side effects
This can be done if it is medically justified, for example in elderly patients who have had a heart attack or in people with obesity or obesity, diabetes and high blood lipid levels. „But to give these medications simply to give to the population, I consider, to say the least, irresponsible.“ In addition, aspirin and cholesterol inhibitors can cause numerous side effects, such as bleeding, asthma, kidney damage, muscle pain or liver and kidney dysfunction.

Researchers in London come to similar conclusions
However, David Agus is not alone in his recommendation. Only a few weeks ago, the prevention expert Jack Cuzick of the Queen Mary University of London and his fellow researchers in the online edition of the journal had „Annals of Oncology“ calculated that the risk of cancer, heart attack and stroke by a daily low dose of the active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) - between 75 to 325 milligrams over ten years - seven percent in European women and nine percent in male Europeans between the ages of 50 to 65 years. In the online edition of the „South German newspaper“ However, it was also reported that many of the participating researchers act as consultants for Bayer. (Ad)