Health &
Daily Aspirin Might Ease COPD Flare-Ups
Many Americans take a daily low-dose
aspirin to protect their hearts. Now it
appears aspirin may also reduce flare-
ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD).
In a study of COPD sufferers,
researchers found that aspirin
was linked to fewer moderate
exacerbations, but not severe bouts,
of the lung disease. It also reduced
moderate and severe episodes of
labored breathing.
“This study highlights that adding
aspirin to current treatment regimens
may potentially improve the well-
being of patients suffering from a
burdensome chronic disease while
reducing health care utilization,” said
lead researcher Dr. Ashraf Fawzy. He is
a pulmonary and critical care fellow at
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
However, Fawzy said more research is
needed before broadly recommending
that patients start taking aspirin as
part of their COPD treatment.
The study was funded by the U.S.
National Institutes of Health. Fawzy
and his colleagues looked at nearly
1,700 people with COPD. About
45 percent of participants reported
regularly taking low-dose aspirin at the
start of the study. (Low-dose aspirin is
generally 81 milligrams.)
bronchodilator that opens the airways,
making it easier to breathe, and an
anti-inflammatory. In the most severe
cases, patients need a constant supply
of oxygen.
The researchers found the aspirin
users had fewer flare-ups over three
years. Aspirin has already shown a benefit in
preventing heart attacks and strokes in
patients with cardiovascular disease,
but its role in COPD has been unclear.
Patients also reported better quality
of life and less shortness of breath,
compared with patients who did not
use aspirin, according to the study.
COPD includes bronchitis and
emphysema, two chronic lung
diseases. Smoking is its main cause,
but long-term environmental exposure
to toxic dust or chemicals is another
culprit. One problem in comparing COPD
patients is that many suffer from other
conditions. Most COPD patients, for
example, also have cardiovascular
disease, Mensch pointed out.
However, he noted that other studies
have found aspirin may extend the
life of COPD patients and slow the
progression of emphysema. “It may
help,” Mensch said.
Millions of Americans suffer from
COPD, and it is the third leading
cause of disease-related death in the
nation, according to the American
Lung Association. So how exactly might aspirin work its
magic? Mensch noted aspirin is an
anti-inflammatory, which might explain
the reduction in COPD flare-ups.
The report appeared March 4 in the
journal Chest.
There is treatment but no cure.
Medications
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Jaden Smith’s Foundation
Bringing Clean Water To Flint
Jaden Smith’s foundation, JUST goods and First
Trinity Missionary Baptist Church are working
to bring cleaner water to Flint, Michigan.
The rapper’s organization recently announced
they’ll deploy a mobile water filtration system
known as “The Water Box” that reduces lead
and other potential contaminants. The 20-year-
old’s foundation collaborated with the church
to design and engineer the system. The church
has distributed over 5 million bottles of water to
residents, but bottled water donations are on
the decline.Flint has been replacing water lines
after lead-tainted water was discovered in 2014.
Lead began leaking from pipes after the city
tapped the Flint River for drinking water without
properly treating it to reduce corrosion.
Pastor Ezra Tillman, Jaden Smith, Jada Pinckett Smith, First Lady Catrina Tillman