MEDIA RELEASE

21st August 2008


Take aspirin to prevent heart attack and stroke at Beijing Olympics

At-risk spectators visiting the Beijing Olympics should consider taking an aspirin a day to reduce their risk of a heart attack or a stroke due to the high pollution levels, US researchers say.(1)

Specialists in pulmonary medicine and critical care at Chicago's Northwestern University warn that high levels of pollution could increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes within 24 hours of exposure for spectators in certain risk groups(2) and could increase the chance of having a blood clot in their legs on the plane home.

Research by Dr Gokhan Mutlu and Dr Scott Budinger, both Assistant Professors of Medicine at the Northwestern's Feinberg School and physicians at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, suggests that inhaling particulates in polluted air may provoke cells in the lungs to produce the chemical interleukin-6 (IL-6), which accelerates the formation of clots.(3)

"If you spend a few weeks in Beijing, your blood might become thicker and sticky and then when you fly 12 hours back to the U.S. that further increases your risk. If clots migrate into the lungs and cause pulmonary embolism, that can kill you," Mutlu warned.

Dr Budinger recommended several ways to reduce the risk of blood clots. Men over 40 should take an aspirin each day to prevent their blood from becoming thick and sticky. While the benefits of aspirin are less certain for women, he said it probably wouldn't hurt for them to take one, too. Avoid peak pollution levels in rush-hour periods by staying indoors. Finally, on the return flight, take frequent walks up and down the aisles and do leg exercises in your seat to prevent blood from pooling in the legs.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The Aspirin Foundation has published information about aspirin and flying at www.aspirin-foundation.com/suitability/documents/Pospaper-preventionofDVTwithflying-Nov05.pdf.

The UK Department of Health advises: While there is evidence that graduated compression stockings may be useful there is no evidence that aspirin is effective in preventing travel-related DVT or PE. Because aspirin can have serious side effects like bruising, bleeding from the gut and allergies you should consult your doctor before deciding to take this drug. People taking aspirin already should not increase the dose. (www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthprotection/Bloodsafety/DVT/DH_4123480)

2. The researchers identified the at-risk groups as: people who already have known cardiovascular disease or risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, lung disease, a current smoking habit or a family member diagnosed with heart disease before age 55.

3. The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation 2007;17:2952-61. The paper is freely available at www.jci.org/articles/view/JCI30639.