To Your Health

Q: I feel very blessed to come from a family that lives long and generally healthy lives. I am 40 and still feel good, but my doctor recommended I take an aspirin tablet every day to prevent heart problems. What are the pros and cons?

A: Aspirin is one of several anti-inflammatory medications that have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks and to improve your ability to survive a heart attack if one occurs. Some other medications ordinarily used as pain relievers such as AleveTM and ibuprofen may also have this effect. What these medications have in common is their ability to "cool off" the body's response to cellular injury. The body's anti-inflammatory response is certainly necessary at times, but tends to damage tissue and can be overdone. Overly active inflammation is linked to increased risk of heart attack and cancer.

Aspirin will also "thin the blood," reducing its ability to clot. Although it is not the usual cause of stroke, bleeding into the brain, called an aneurysm, may occur when the blood does not clot normally.

Some nutrients are also "anti-inflammatory," which means they reduce the risk of heart attack and cancer; as a bonus, they have many other benefits, such as reducing the risk of osteoporosis. High on this list are the omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), especially those from fish oils, which were much more abundant in our ancestor's diets. Choosing a diet richer in omega-3 and skimpier in omega-6 EFAs (corn oil, safflower oil, and most of the common oils) would reduce your risk of heart attack without increasing your risk of an aneurysm. Other anti-inflammatory candidates are the bioflavonoids, interesting food components found in plants but not yet considered nutrients. The benefits we find in onions, soy, green tea, apples, and other foods may derive from their bioflavonoids.

Q: I just found out that a friend is pregnant with a baby that has Down Syndrome. She refuses to have an abortion. Is she doomed to a miserable life taking care of this child?

A: A few decades ago, a child born with Down Syndrome would likely end up in an institution. Today, partly because of the amiable nature of many Down Syndrome children, parents are much more willing to care for them at home. Still, Down Syndrome children (and adults) face special challenges in life. They are more likely to have thyroid problems, leukemia, congenital heart problems, early Alzheimer's disease, and to suffer more infections. All this can place an emotional and financial strain on parents.

Research has established that Down Syndrome is an abnormality in a specific gene, resulting in an extra chromosome. Recently it has been verified that this extra chromosome produces extra amounts of an enzyme (superoxide desmutase, SOD) that makes hydrogen peroxide. If you pour hydrogen peroxide solution on an open wound, you will see a lot of bubbles, formed when hydrogen peroxide (which is rather damaging to tissue) is changed into water and oxygen. Down Syndrome children are unable to do this as rapidly as they need to. As the SOD forms the hydrogen peroxide, the enzyme that should change it to water and oxygen can't keep up and the hydrogen peroxide damages sensitive tissues, especially in the brain.

There is considerable hope that supplementing with certain antioxidants (vitamin E and selenium are the most promising) beginning early in life or even while the child is still in the mother's womb, will reduce the damage. In addition, social services today are superior to those of the past, so there is every reason to hope that your friend's child will fare better than a Down Syndrome child of a few years past.