250 older residents participate in Australia’s largest ever aspirin clinical trial
ANNOUNCEMENT
The ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) study – the largest ever disease prevention aspirin trial to take place in Australia – is celebrating the participation of 250 Manningham residents who have signed up to the study.
ASPREE will test whether taking aspirin contributes to the maintenance of good health in later years and help to determine if daily low-dose aspirin should be prescribed to all otherwise healthy people over 70 years of age.
Led by researchers at Monash University in Melbourne and the Berman Center for Outcomes and Clinical Research in the United States, ASPREE has enrolled over 9000 healthy Australians aged 70 years and over to the trial (more than 4000 of these from greater Melbourne and 250 from the Manningham area alone).
Associate Professor Robyn Woods, Executive Officer of ASPREE says the ongoing participation of the older community is a vital part of the trial’s research.
“We have had a terrific response from our Victorian ASPREE participants who want to contribute to the health of future generation. It’s great to have an opportunity to bring local participants together to meet with our senior researchers and other participants,” said A/Prof Woods.
Head of the Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Prof John McNeil, who is the study’s Principal Investigator in Australia, said the health and wellbeing of older Australians was at the centre of the study.
“We want to look at the potential of aspirin to maintain good health of older Australians, something that is increasingly important as our population ages,” Prof McNeil said.
The study is testing whether aspirin can keep older people healthier for longer by delaying or preventing the onset of common age-related diseases including heart attacks, stroke, dementia and certain cancers.
Participants are randomly assigned to take 100mg of aspirin or a placebo tablet daily and undergo annual health checks.
Most participants have been invited to take part in the study through their GP.
The ASPREE trial aims to enrol over 19,000 participants by the end of 2013 – 16,000 from the Australia – across Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, regional NSW and Adelaide.
The ASPREE study is being funded by the US National Institute on Aging, with funding support also received from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Victorian Cancer Agency (VCA)