Take two aspirin and call them from the morgue… In much of the popular culture -- including the media and mainstream doctors' offices -- ordinary, garden-variety aspirin has been elevated to the status of "miracle drug" for the prevention of heart attacks. This is nothing new. And according to these "experts," aspirin fights heart attacks by making the platelets (clotting agents) in your blood less likely to bind together in clumps and clog up your arteries… But some recent research on the subject proves what I've been saying all along -- that aspirin may not be such a good thing when it comes to protecting your ticker. Here's the newest scoop: The University of Maryland Medical Center conducted a study of 56 randomly selected heart patients who were engaged in "aspirin therapy" for the prevention of heart attacks. Of these subjects, 14 exhibited EXCESSIVE platelet aggregation (clumping). But before you conclude that 14 out of 56 isn't a bad ratio -- after all, it's only 25% -- consider this: Out of these 14, 9 (64%) had what their doctors considered "high cholesterol." Why is this big news? Because what most doctors view as "high" cholesterol is actually bordering on dangerously LOW levels of this vital substance. If you've been reading my Real Health newsletter (or the Daily Dose) for any length of time, you'll remember that I'm a firm believer in keeping blood cholesterol levels OVER 200 -- because your risk of stroke increases when it's lower… In fact, I'd ignore cholesterol altogether unless it gets up over 300! If the Maryland study holds true, it means that the effects of aspirin on healthy, cholesterol-rich blood actually INCREASE the risk of platelet "clumping" and heart attack! And this is not to mention the heightened risk of deadly uncontrolled bleeding that comes with excessive aspirin use… Bottom line: Take aspirin only when something hurts. And if you're worried about heart attacks (who isn't?), do what I do -- take cod liver oil twice daily. It worked for my grandma, and it's kept me around longer than most of my detractors… Watching what I put in MY mouth,
William Campbell Douglass II, MD
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