I find this very interesting. I was not aware that one can hemmorage from the
vocal folds if one takes 'baby' aspirin.
My cholesterol is always high so long as I am not on the medication .... Zocor.I
have tried all herbal remedies to no avail.
I am average size,my BP is good, I am not diabetic, I walk 2 times a week on the
beach, try to eat healthy, yet it is high. I do take a baby aspirin at least 3
times a week as I sometimes go off the medication for a month between doses. I
sneeze a lot because of my allergies, could this cause my vocal folds to
hemmorage.
"John Messmer, M.D." wrote:The reasons for cardiovascular (CV) disease are
complex - there are many
factors we do not completely understand. Having normal BP, cholesterol,
etc. reduces the RISK of CV disease but there is nothing to avoid it
100%.
Genetics is the biggest contributor. This encompasses such things just
now coming into their own as risk factors: C-reactive protein which
mediates inflammation, homocysteine - an amino acid involved with
inflammatory response, testosterone and other male hormone like
substances, the interleukins which are involved in immune responses, the
clotting system, insulin-like growth factor, etc, etc. There are often
those who have normal BP, no diabetes, normal cholesterol and don't
smoke who have strokes and heart attacks because of one or more of the
above things are out of normal range.
Diabetes is an interesting problem since it can cause harm years before
it is diagnosed. Consequently we look for glucose intolerance rather
than overt diabetes now.
You said your father's HDL/LDL ratio was good, but was his HDL over 40
and LDL under 100? While there is debate on this issue, I am firmly
convinced that the true normal HDL is over 40 (maybe even over 45) and
true normal LDL is under 100.
In the original Framingham study where we really began to realize the
contribution of cholesterol, a group with high cholesterol who exercised
regularly had fewer CV deaths than those with "normal" cholesterol who
did not exercise. Exercise reduces mediators of inflammation among
other benefits.
I don't want to turn this into a treatise on CV risks so let me address
the question of aspirin use. Any medical recommendation is a balance
between risk vs benefit. Most people are not singers so they do not
have the risk involved with vocal fold hemorrhage. In your case, your
risk from aspirin is greater than that of the general public. Yes,
aspirin 81 mg can contribute to hemorrhage - it is about the lowest dose
that will inhibit all your platelets. Higher doses begin to have other
physiologic effects also. Hemorrhage is unlikely to be spontaneous; it
would happen with vocal overuse or abuse. But a cough could cause
hemorrhage. Thus you must decide your personal risk vs benefit.
If you are lean in weight, you are unlikely to have glucose intolerance.
A few glasses of wine a week can increase HDL. Regular exercise can
reduce inflammatory mediators. If your LDL is less than 100 and your
HDL is over 45 (females are expected to have higher HDL's) and you don't
smoke and have BP 120/80 or less, it sounds like your CV risk is quite
low for now.
John
John Messmer, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine
Penn State Hershey Medical Center
> -----Original Message-----
> From: leskayc@a...]
> Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 9:46 PM
> To: vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [vocalist] MED: Aspirin
>
> Since my father has suffered several small strokes and I am
> now 45 years old,
> my physician recommends that I begin taking what we used to
> call a "baby"
> aspirin...I distinctly remember the speech
> therapists warning me to avoid aspirin, since it can increase
> the chance of
> vocal fold hemorrhage. But what about this small dose?
> Would it also
> increase the risk of hemorrhage? ...and my cholesterol was 130. I do
not smoke and drink
> only 2-3 glasses
> of wine per week and my blood pressure is very low...
> However, my father is a non-smoker, tee-totaler, has low
> blood pressure and a
> normal cholesterol level, with a good HDL/LDL ratio. Why he
> had a stroke is
> beyond me.......
>
> I am not asking for anyone to make a medical decision for me,
> I really just
> want to know if that dosage of aspirin would be damaging to my voice.
>
>
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