Lifesaving Benefits of Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy Maintained With Napro...( Data Suggests That Millions on Aspi...),Health

Data Suggests That Millions on Aspirin Therapy Can Safely Take Aleve for

Pain Without Compromising Cardiovascular Benefits

BOSTON, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Data to be presented at the 71st annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) showed that when over- the-counter (OTC) naproxen sodium, commercially sold as Aleve(R), was added to an aspirin therapy regimen, there was no change in platelet aggregation measures versus baseline. Unlike ibuprofen, which can negate the intended cardiovascular benefit of aspirin therapy, an OTC dose of naproxen sodium did not change the antiplatelet effect profile seen with aspirin therapy alone.

The aggregation or accumulation of platelets can cause clotting in the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or ischemic stroke. It has been reported that one in five Americans (an estimated 43 million) regularly take aspirin and globally, it is estimated that more than 90 million are taking aspirin for cardioprotection. Taken regularly, low-dose aspirin can help prevent one out of three heart attacks. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently mandated that ibuprofen products now carry a warning that there may be an interaction between ibuprofen and aspirin, which might render aspirin therapy less effective when used for its antiplatelet, cardioprotective effect.

"This study is good news for the millions of Americans who currently use low-dose aspirin therapy, and also need safe, over-the-counter pain relief for general aches and pains, including the minor pain of arthritis. These results tell us that Aleve doesn't interfere with aspirin the way some other analgesic treatments may, giving the consumer more freedom to make choices about pain relief without worrying about this drug interaction," said study author Michael Schiff, M.D., of the Denver Arthritis Clinic.

This research explored the effect of OTC doses of naproxen sodium (220 mg tid) or acetaminoph
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