One tablet a day keeps the doc away?

A new study will question investigate whether aspirin is the answer to living a longer life.

A new Monash University study will explore whether a daily dose of one of the most successful non-prescription medicines of all time – asprin – can delay the onset of illness and potentially assist in prolonging life.

The large-scale study, currently underway in regional and rural Australia, marks a research first as it will determine the true potential of the drug to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia and certain cancers in people aged 70 and over.

The ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) study will also determine if the potential health benefits outweigh the risks of regular aspirin in this age group.

The trial aims to recruit 12,500 healthy older people from Australia and 6,500 from the USA.

To date, ASPREE has almost 1,200 GP co-investigators on the project and so far, over 4,000 Australian participants have enrolled in the trial with more than 1000 from regional centres.

Head of Monash’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and the principal investigator for ASPREE, Professor John McNeil, emphasized that the study relies on regional and rural Australian participants to help answer a question which has troubled general practitioners for many years –should all healthy older people routinely use low dose aspirin?

“ASPREE engages local GPs and community health networks and together, with this study we are bringing medical research to the people rather than the other way around,” said Professor John McNeil.

“I encourage healthy Australians, aged 70 years and over and in good health, to participate in this significant study which could potentially result in an improved quality of life.”

Participants selected for the trial will be randomly assigned to take either a low-dose aspirin tablet or a placebo pill for a period of five years. Annual follow-ups will involve a number of health, clinical and other measurements.

The ASPREE study will be complemented by the CSIRO supported Healthy Ageing Biobank, which will collect over 10,000 blood samples from healthy Australians to investigate factors that may contribute to healthy ageing.

Eligible Australians will be sent a letter from ASPREE on behalf of their GP.

Alternatively, those who are interested in the study can call ASPREE directly on 1800 728 745.

The study will be conducted in Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

To find out more please visit www.aspree.org or email aspree@monash.edu
 

Tags: aspree, asprin, dementia, elderly, heart-attack, longevity, monash-university, stroke,

1 thought on “One tablet a day keeps the doc away?

  1. Dear Sir.
    I received invitations to take part in the study,
    I had a heart attack 22 years ago and taken Cartia
    ever since.
    Yours truly
    H. Gremmert

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