From the “Guess who’s going to try their damnedest to use this vital information as a marketing ploy to make some money” department:
For Some, Aspirin May Not Help Hearts
By ANDREW POLLACK
Published: July 20, 2004 New York Times
“More than 20 million Americans take aspirin regularly to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. But new evidence suggests that for many of them, the pills do little if any good.
“Scientists are racing to clarify further the significance of aspirin resistance and how to counteract it. What they learn could influence how one of the oldest and most widely consumed medicines is used, perhaps leading to more customized therapies.
“Dr. Mark A. Goodman, president of Cardiovascular Medical Associates in Garden City, N.Y., said he tested all his patients and found that 20 to 25 percent were aspirin resistant. For those people, Dr. Goodman said, he first tries a higher dose, because that is the least expensive alternative.
“If that does not work – and it usually does not – he prescribes another anticlotting drug, Plavix, that can cost $3 or more a day, compared with pennies a day for aspirin.”
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