Study suggests aspirin may help prevent colorectal cancers

Hunter Boyce, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Oct 16, 2024

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From bone to heart health, aspirin has been linked to all kinds of benefits through the years — though many of these benefits have since been debunked. But according to a recent study, the pill may significantly lower colorectal cancer risks.

Published in JAMA Oncology, researchers analyzed data from over 107,000 people who were monitored over a decade for colorectal cancer. The participants also answered surveys about their lifestyles to determine how healthy they lived.

Regular aspirin users, those who consumed two or more regular-strength pills per week, had an 18% lower risk of developing the cancer. From smokers to drinkers, those who lived less healthy lifestyles benefited even more from the pain reliever.

“Our results show that aspirin can proportionally lower the markedly elevated risk in those with multiple risk factors for colorectal cancer,” Dr. Daniel Sikavi, lead study author and gastroenterologist at Mass General Brigham, told CNN in an email. “In contrast, those with a healthier lifestyle have a lower baseline risk of colorectal cancer, and, therefore, their benefit from aspirin was still evident, albeit less pronounced.”

According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal is the fourth most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. While aspirin can potentially help protect people from the deadly condition, scientists still don’t understand why.

And this is far from the first time the anti-inflammatory has been championed for having health boosting effects.

Daily aspirin use was first recommend as a heart health booster back in the 1990s, but the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association overturned its advice in 2019. Research has revealed that daily use can increase a person’s risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic strokes.

While multiple studies have linked aspirin use to better bone health, more recent research has revealed that it does not directly improve bone health or reduce fractures from falls.