This weeks article comes from Consumer Reports and addresses a medicine tens of millions of Americans take everyday.  With all of the back and forth on the risks and benefits, we felt it was appropriate to share. There’s always a balance to strike between the benefits and side effects of a medicine. That balance is even finer when the medicine is being taken to prevent an illness, rather than to treat existing symptoms. We’ve seen that in areas like fracture prevention, where women are sometimes advised to take drugs like bisphosphonates, to prevent their bones from getting weaker and breaking. How do you know how likely someone is to have a fracture, and whether reducing that risk can outweigh the risk of side effects, such as cancer of the esophagus? That’s why I’m cautious about a new study that suggests regular low-dose aspirin … Continue reading →