Aspirin May Raise Risk Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Study Suggests

[RKP5637]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/aspirin-macular-degeneration-age-related_n_2527221.html

A pain-reliever known for its life-saving potential in the event of a heart attack might also be linked with age-related vision loss when taken regularly, according to a new study in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

The findings show an association between regularly taking aspirin and an increased risk of developing the more severe "wet" form of age-related macular degeneration -- even when smoking and heart disease risks are taken into account. And the researchers found that the relationship was "dose-dependent" -- meaning, the more aspirin a person took regularly, the higher the risk of the vision loss condition.

Age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness among people over the age of 55, is a vision loss condition that occurs with the degeneration of the retina, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. It is marked by loss of sight in the center of the field of vision, and is separated into two main types of macular degeneration: Dry, which is more common, and wet, which is rarer but more severe, the Mayo Clinic reported. Wet age-related macular degeneration occurs when blood vessels leak into the macula (which is located in the middle of the retina), thereby blocking vision.

The new study, conducted by University of Sydney researchers, included 2,389 people whose aspirin habits and vision loss were tracked over 15 years (via four examinations). Of those people, 257 (or 10.8 percent) regularly took aspirin; however, researchers didn't have full information on why these people took the aspirin, MedPage Today noted.

[JoeBlowToo]

1. Great! My doctor has me take full size aspirin to prevent stroke...

Woke up one night and could not see out of one eye. Looks like there's not way to win.

[RKP5637]

2. Same here, I take 2 each morning. I also have minor arthritis so I also take

2 in the evening. Damn, that was working rather well for me. This runs in my family, so I guess I've got to change this. As you say, " Looks like there's no way to win."

[Lochloosa]

3. For those that don't know what Macular Degeneration is.....

Your arms get too short...

[RKP5637]

4. Macular Degeneration Eye Test

http://www.eyesight.org/Macular_Degeneration/Eye_Test/eye_test.html

[panzerfaust]

5. Though there are some that should be, it is my belief that most drugs should not be taken every day

For example, the anti-platelet effects of aspirin last 5-7 (or more) days following a single dose, and it is the anti-platelet (and perhaps anti-inflammatory) effects of aspirin which are thought to decrease the risk of cardiac and vascular problems.

All things in moderation.

[bemildred]

6. +1. nt

[RKP5637]

7. +++ 1,000 +++ n/t