The World's Most Widely Used Drug
Despite the development of new drugs, aspirin remains the most widely used of all drugs. This inexpensive medication is known formally as acetyl salicylic acid. It has been used to relieve pain, lower fever, reduce inflammation, and more recently as a preventative treatment for strokes and heart attacks. It’s useful too in the management of rheumatoid arthritis.
Aspirin helps prevent heart attacks by blocking an enzyme that makes platelets sticky. Platelets exposed to aspirin are unable to produce these enzymes. Platelets live for less than two weeks and turnover at a rate of about ten percent per day. Since it takes a few days for platelets to regain their normal “stickiness” after exposure to aspirin, an aspirin every other day is usually sufficient to prevent arterial blockage.
While aspirin is important for those of us who have heart disease, there is evidence that everyone over age fifty benefits from low doses of aspirin. However, like all drugs there are risks as well as benefits associated with aspirin. About ten percent of those who take uncoated aspirin suffer occasionally from some sort of stomach distress. More serious is Reye’s syndrome, a rare and sometimes fatal reaction to aspirin, experienced by children and adolescents recovering from chicken pox or the flu.
So next time someone talks about wonder drugs, put in a good word for our old friend aspirin.
[In 1899, acetylsalicylic acid was launched on the German market under the trademark Aspirin®. Today, Aspirin® is a registered trademark of Bayer AG in Germany and more than 80 other countries. In countries where Aspirin® is not protected by trademark status, such as the United States, the term Aspirin® can be used generically for all products containing the active substance acetylsalicylic acid. However, genuine Aspirin®, renowned the world over, is only available with the Bayer Cross.]
Aspirin is a valuable medicine indeed. Sometimes we fail to appreciate just how versatile and effective it is. Aspirin plays several roles in disease prevention and symptom alleviation. Aspirin is not curative, but it sure does make us feel better - and keeps us feeling that way.
In life, we too play many roles. Some of these would include child, friend, parent, employee, grandparent, in-law, neighbour, boss. Some of these roles we prepare for, others just happen to us. Some of these roles we enjoy, others we avoid. Some we succeed at. In others, we fail.
There are different expectations for each of these roles. And sometimes what is necessary for success in one, is detrimental in another. The transition then between roles may be challenging since it might require a different skill set. A high power executive may do well in a job setting but find that spouse and children don’t respond kindly to the same management techniques.
Knowing this, and being adept at handling the changing contextual demands, can allow us to be more effective in our roles. We can prevent unnecessary friction and alleviate problems by bringing appropriate skills to our jobs - whether these be within our families, our neighbourhood, our friends or workmates.
Typically we learn about role expectations from our culture. What is a good parent like? What makes a successful leader? What are the limits and responsibilities in childhood?
We look to people within our own context to see how these roles are modelled to us. Are they good examples or poor? Are the standards against which we measure them fair? desirable? true?
What kind of a role should we play in the sphere of religion? Is adherence good enough? and good enough for what goal? Worshipper? Member? Believer? Follower?
If true religion requires a personal relationship, then one must ask what role and responsibilities we have in light of that relationship. If a Creator made a creation for some purpose, then the creatures need to understand their position, significance and goals.
Dr. David Humphreys and Debbie Hughes
© August 2004
