[extropy-chat] Aspirin, life-extension, and the current spate of pain-reliever problems

[Dan Clemmensen]

Damien Broderick wrote:

> Here's a response to Dan's interesting suggestion from Steve Harris, MD:
>
> ==============
>
> COX-1 is the form of the enzyme found in all tissues. COX-2
> is the form which is induced by, and contributes to, acute
> inflammation, but otherwise is normally not active (except
> in uninflammed kidney and brain, for reasons not obvious).

[Snip]

Thanks, Damien.

extropy-chat is scary. In less than four hours, I received a highly 
competent response to a theoretical question. I had of course attempted 
to answer the question using Google before I asked the list.

What Steve is saying is that Aspirin iinhibits Cox-1 and Cox2 at the 
same time. Users of Viaoxx and other Cox-1 inhibitors are losing 
Aspirin's inhibitory effect on Cox-1. Inhibiting Cox-2 results in 
reductions of inflammation, while inhibiting Cox-1 had other effects, 
both "good" and "bad."

Steve, as a practicing MD, prescribes Aspirin to any patient taking 
Viaoxx ( and for whom Aspirin is not counterindicated.) This says that 
my hypothesis was pretty damn obvious to real-life practitioners.

The moral of this story is: don't inhibit Cox-2 unless you also inhibit 
Cox-1.

Survey: how many extropians are taking Aspirin?