The truth behind aspirin and AMD


A recent study was claimed to reveal that just by taking aspirin every other day, it could reduce the risk of blindness. This study, conducted in America was wrongly interpreted by many media organisations following an investigation in a previous study by the Woman’s Health Study into the affects that aspirin could have on cardiovascular disease and cancer in women. The researchers themselves clearly stated that their findings showed nothing significant but it has been greatly distorted and is misleading in many news reports.

Age-related macular degeneration affects many older people and can lead to complete blindness due to the retina’s cells becoming progressively damaged. The study did investigate whether or not the alternating days of taking aspirin would have any affect on the progression of AMD. The results were drawn from the previous study by Woman’s Health Study who had taken down patients medical histories, including the occurrence of AMD. The women were then divided into two groups; one taking aspirin, the other placebo pills. The results did show a difference of just over twenty more women having developed AMD in the placebo group than the aspirin group, but the ratio is not significant enough to claim that aspirin could save your eyesight.

It must also be noted that the results for this study cannot be determined as a hundred percent accurate as the original test that the results were taken from were not conducted solely for the appearance of AMD. The initial test was for cardiovascular disease and cancer and therefore it could be deemed that the presence of AMD, the symptoms and so forth were not looked for as thoroughly as they would have been had the test been conducted for AMD itself. Equally, early symptoms of the disease can go unnoticed if they are not looked for properly, which could have happened in this case. The study is also only valid for women and the alternate daily taking of aspirin may not be beneficial overall for ones health. Taken as a whole, the study conducted does not reveal anything significant regarding aspirin and AMD and should not be dwelled upon as a cure for the disease.   

9th December 2009

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