Regular Aspirin Use may Slow Progression of Deadly Lung Disease 'Emphysema'

Using aspirin three or more days per week was associated with a slower progression of percent emphysema on computed tomography scans over 10 years.

A regular use of aspirin may help slow progression of early emphysema, a deadly lung disease, claims a news research of the New York-based Columbia University.

Researcher Carrie Aaron said that other than smoking cessation and avoidance, there were no known methods for reducing the risk of developing emphysema.

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"In our large general population sample, we found that using aspirin 3 or more days per week was associated with a slower progression of percent emphysema on computed tomography (CT) scans over 10 years," she said.

The study included 4,471 individuals participating in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Lung Study, where the percentage of lung volume with emphysematous features (percent emphysema) was assessed on up to 4 CT scans performed over approximately 10 years of follow-up. Spirometry, a measure of expiratory airflow, was performed in 81% of study subjects.

Aaron said the results showed that people taking aspirin regularly had a slower progression of emphysema over ten years compared to those who did not, and that this difference was not explained by many factors that we believe affect progression of emphysema.

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The research was presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

Source-ANI

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