LAHORE, April 28: The Pakistan Aspirin Foundation claims that a Re1 aspirin tablet is almost as effective as a streptoainase injection worth Rs5,000 in case of a heart attack. This was stated by Fatima Jinnah Medical College Principal and PAF founding member Prof Akbar Chaudhry while speaking at a news conference here on Thursday.

He said the PAF was organizing a fourth national conference on aspirin to create awareness about its utility among the masses at the FJMC on Saturday. The conference would highlight the importance of aspirin and its efficacy in preventing deaths in different diseases.

He said it was a matter of concern that aspirin was being under-prescribed by doctors. Pharmaceutical companies had also lessened its production owing to a very less price and consequent profit.

In case of heart attack, he said an aspirin tablet could do a wonder and reduce the death rate by 45 per cent. He said the foundation recommend that those who had undergone bypass or heart surgery should use one table daily throughout their lives.

He said aspirin could save some 34 per cent of those having bypass or surgery from heart attack in future. Similarly, those who had suffered a stroke could also lessen their future stroke by 25 per cent. He said aspirin also helped reduced the death rate by 16 per cent caused by different ailments. It was also effective in other diseases like diabetes and alzheimer’s besides simple ailments like fever, headache, bodyache etc.

He said stomach ulcer patients and those required surgery should not use aspirin. There were rare cases that it had caused allergy among some patients. He said one tablet of 75mg or 100mg a day could help people stay away from doctors.

He said the national conference would also have a public awareness seminar on Saturday afternoon.