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Aspirin!

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-11-breakdown-product-aspirin-blocks-cell.html

I had a quick look at the abstract for the article, the link is below. This is a laboratory study and, while it is undoubtably promising, test tube studies do not tell one how clinically effective a medicine is. However, given the availability and price of aspirin and the laboratory evidence given in the paper it makes considerable sense to do a Randomised Trial as soon as possible. You'll notice the abstract mentions that a number of Chinese medicines are better at mopping up GAPDH, including licorice, so a trial should include a "standard treatment" group, an aspirin group, and a licorice group. There are adverse effects associated with aspirin so if licorice turns out to be protective then apart from the yuck factor (I don't like it much, but some do) it would be the preferred treatment.

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0143447

Originally posted by sonhouse
Aspirin!

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-11-breakdown-product-aspirin-blocks-cell.html

As mentioned in the article there is already a drug (deprenyl) with the same function. In addition many older people are already on aspirin as a preventative of heart attack and stroke.

Also keep in mind that aspirin can have negative side effects too as well as interactions with other drugs, so only take it on the advice of your doctor.

Originally posted by twhitehead
As mentioned in the article there is already a drug (deprenyl) with the same function. In addition many older people are already on aspirin as a preventative of heart attack and stroke.

Also keep in mind that aspirin can have negative side effects too as well as interactions with other drugs, so only take it on the advice of your doctor.

What drugs interact with aspirin? The only prescribed drug I take is Diavan to control blood pressure, but sometimes I take aspirin also for headaches and so on.

Originally posted by sonhouse
What drugs interact with aspirin? The only prescribed drug I take is Diavan to control blood pressure, but sometimes I take aspirin also for headaches and so on.

I am not a medical professional so I can only refer you to online sources:
It does look like there are interactions:
http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/aspirin-with-diovan-243-0-2288-1519.html

Other drugs:
http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/aspirin.html

I believe aspirin is not a prescription medication so it is considered reasonably safe for use such as to deal with headaches, but it should not be used continuously without advice from a doctor as the chances of problems are significantly higher with continuous use of any medication.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I am not a medical professional so I can only refer you to online sources:
It does look like there are interactions:
http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/aspirin-with-diovan-243-0-2288-1519.html

Other drugs:
http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/aspirin.html

I believe aspirin is not a prescription medication so it is considered reasonably safe ...[text shortened]... octor as the chances of problems are significantly higher with continuous use of any medication.

The doctors told me Diavan actually helps kidney function but looks like aspirin impairs that secondary effect. I am lucky to be 74 years old and only needing the one med.

Originally posted by DeepThought
I had a quick look at the abstract for the article, the link is below. This is a laboratory study and, while it is undoubtably promising, test tube studies do not tell one how clinically effective a medicine is. However, given the availability and price of aspirin and the laboratory evidence given in the paper it makes considerable sense to do a Random ...[text shortened]... preferred treatment.

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0143447

Black licorice is nasty, though. A couple years ago I got on a licorice kick. I had maybe 1.5 ounces of licorice each day for about three weeks. Then one day I discovered I had pitting edema in my legs and I had gained 10 pounds in as many days. Holy crap! It was lucky I immediately made the connection to the licorice candy. After quitting the candy it took a month to lose the edema.

Originally posted by Soothfast
Black licorice is nasty, though. A couple years ago I got on a licorice kick. I had maybe 1.5 ounces of licorice each day for about three weeks. Then one day I discovered I had pitting edema in my legs and I had gained 10 pounds in as many days. Holy crap! It was lucky I immediately made the connection to the licorice candy. After quitting the candy it took a month to lose the edema.

An ounce and a half a day strikes me as rather a lot. We often tend to think of medicines as magical potions that take away disease without any other consequences. But in a lot of cases it's a trade off between the positive and negative effects of a drug.

Originally posted by DeepThought
An ounce and a half a day strikes me as rather a lot. We often tend to think of medicines as magical potions that take away disease without any other consequences. But in a lot of cases it's a trade off between the positive and negative effects of a drug.

Yes, both Aspirin and Diovan can have benefits, but there is a reason why the human body does not produce them or their effects naturally. I could find no evidence that Diovan aids kidney function or is recommended for that purpose. What it does do is keep blood vessels from narrowing, which may in some cases benefit the kidneys, but probably in other cases is not so good for them. Its main benefit though appears to be in the treatment of high blood pressure, but even there, if you do not have high blood pressure it may cause more problems than good.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Yes, both Aspirin and Diovan can have benefits, but there is a reason why the human body does not produce them or their effects naturally. I could find no evidence that Diovan aids kidney function or is recommended for that purpose. What it does do is keep blood vessels from narrowing, which may in some cases benefit the kidneys, but probably in other cas ...[text shortened]... re, but even there, if you do not have high blood pressure it may cause more problems than good.

I wonder why my doc told me Diovan helps kidneys? I just had another one say the same thing, but she added, takes a while. If I was not working a high stress job, I would not have high blood pressure, when I am on vacation, it goes to normal. But a 200 kilometer daily commute is stressful even if the job isn't. The other day, I took my blood pressure with a cuff and found it was 87/59. I stopped taking the diovan for a couple of days and it was up to 149/90 two days later. I will see my doc later today and I will ask her if maybe I need to take a smaller dose or something, unless that first low reading is ok. I don't know when the low side causes problems.

Originally posted by sonhouse
But a 200 kilometer daily commute is stressful even if the job isn't.

And why, oh why, do you have a 200km daily commute? That is something I really think needs to be sorted out on a global scale. I personally have managed to live very close to where I work (and now work from home) but I realise that is because I have the flexibility of renting. However I believe the US in particular has encouraged both urban sprawl and house ownership both things that are very bad for efficiency.

Could you not rent a place close to work?

I believe that high rise cities should be encouraged as they are so so much more efficient on nearly every level than suburban sprawl.