Why is Aspirin buffered?

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Why is Aspirin buffered?

The aspirin doses are prescribed by the doctors for the heart patients to experience a lesser risk of heart attack at low price. Use of aspirin and other non-steroidal drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen very often is observed to cause about 20,000 deaths every year from hemorrhage in the stomach. The complications caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are hospitalizing more than 40,000 people annually. Older people are mostly affected due to this medication. Aspirin is observed to decrease the secretion of prostaglandins which are essential for triggering the blood clotting. So, aspirin induces the blood vessels that are lining the stomach to leak. Sometimes this can lead to serious condition.
Due to many side effects that it can cause, aspirin is used in the buffered form. But a recent study revealed that the buffered aspirin will not give any protection for micro bleeding of stomach lining. The buffered aspirin is the combination of aspirin with antacid such as calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide and magnesium oxide. The antacids were noticed to have ability to reduce the heartburn and stomach upset caused by aspirin.
As aspirin is used to reduce pain and fever due to muscle aches, cold and headache, it is mostly used for several occasions. The buffered aspirin which is coated with the substance that neutralizes the acid in the stomach is believed to withstand the acidity. The pH of the stomach is kept neutral by this form of aspirin which helps to avoid stomach burning. Buffered aspirin is not really combined with any buffer that is defined in chemistry. It is just mixed with substances that can neutralize the stomach acid.
Judith P Kelly belonging to Boston University School of Public Health has conducted research on the association of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with upper-gastro intestinal bleeding (UGIB). He found that the risk for UGIB was not decreased in the people who used buffered aspirin. They concluded saying that use of these drugs in small doses also have 3 times negative effect on the UGIB.

Author: Hari M

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