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Daily low-dose aspirin can prevent heart attack and stroke but is often misused
Aspirin is often hailed as a wonder drug, thanks to its ability to help stave off heart attacks and clot-caused strokes. But fewer than half of people who could benefit from a daily low-dose aspirin take it, while many others take it when they shouldn't, reports the January 2014 Harvard Heart Letter. If you don't have heart disease, but do have high blood pressure, diabetes, or other risk factors for heart disease, don't automatically assume that taking aspirin every day is a good idea. "A lot of people take aspirin who really shouldn't," says Dr. Christopher Cannon, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and profe...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - December 20, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Popular heartburn medications linked to higher risk of stroke
Proton pump inhibitors, including Prilosec, Protonix, Prevacid and Nexium, are used to treat heartburn, but may increase the risk of ischemic stroke, new research shows.
Source: CNN.com - Health - November 15, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Link between indigestion drugs and dementia 'inconclusive'
Conclusion This study found people taking PPIs had a 44% higher risk of developing dementia in a seven-year period compared with those not taking the drugs. However, it's not accurate to say this was down to the PPIs – the study couldn't prove this, and there are many possible explanations. For a start, the groups weren't very similar. Those taking PPIs had poorer health, and were more likely to be taking a number of medicines and have conditions linked to a higher risk of dementia, such as diabetes and heart disease. After taking these factors into account in the analysis, the link between PPIs and dementia reduc...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 16, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Neurology Older people Source Type: news

Taking over the counter pain relievers safely
For aching joints or a throbbing head, millions of Americans turn to aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) every day. They are generally safe, but if not used carefully NSAIDs can have a dark side, according to the September 2013 Harvard Women's Health Watch. NSAIDs are widely used because they perform double duty. “They not only relieve pain, but they reduce inflammation too,” says Dr. Lucy Chen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and attending physician in the anesthesia, critical care, and pain medicine department at Massachusetts General Hos...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - August 23, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

3 Surprising Things That Increase Your Dementia Risk
SPECIAL FROM “As many as five million Americans age 65 and older may have Alzheimer’s Disease, and that number is expected to double for every five-year interval beyond age 65.” — the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke. While Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, it is not the only form. Risk factors for all kinds of dementia include, age, alcohol use, smoking, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, and genetics. However, researchers have found some startling connections that show other surprising factors that can heighten your risk: Risk Factor #1: Anticho...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - May 6, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Could Common Heartburn Drugs Up Stroke Risk?
Researchers concerned about high doses of meds like Nexium and Prilosec
Source: WebMD Health - November 15, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Heartburn drugs linked to premature death
Conclusion This larger set of observational data finds that PPI drugs are associated with an increase in the risk of early death compared with either H2 blockers or no acid suppression drugs. This was the case for participants both with and without gastrointestinal problems. It also appears as though the longer the PPIs drugs are taken, the greater the risk of death. Considering that these drugs are widely used in the UK, these findings may cause concern. But the research has a number of important limitations: The study was conducted in a population of mostly white, older US male veterans, which might limit the ability...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 4, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Source Type: news