How did acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), or aspirin, come to play such an important role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases?

Acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, has evolved from an ancient natural medicine derived from willow bark to a modern-day staple, with more than 100 million pills consumed daily around the world for a variety of benefits, including fever-reducing, pain-relieving, and inflammatory properties, as well as cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention.

 

Have you ever heard of a substance called acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)? While the name may be somewhat unfamiliar, it is an amazing drug that is consumed by humans across the globe in excess of 100 million tablets per day. In particular, it has revolutionized medicine and plays a critical role in the prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases. It’s a very familiar substance, with more than 60 billion tablets sold every year. Acetylsalicylic acid is considered one of the most important inventions in the history of medicine, and its benefits are still being expanded through research and clinical trials. Another name for acetylsalicylic acid is aspirin.
The word “aspirin” is the trade name given to the drug by Bayer, the first company to purify and market acetylsalicylic acid. It’s a symbolic name that signifies a breakthrough in the field of pharmacy. Although the Bayer company discovered how to purify acetylsalicylic acid in 1893, the medicinal properties of this substance aren”t just a modern invention. The use of salicylic acid, the main component of acetylsalicylic acid, as an antipyretic has been around for much longer than that. It’s a long-standing medicinal tradition that dates back to ancient civilizations and has been proven effective for thousands of years.
Salicylic acid is found in willow bark, and its antipyretic properties were discovered by Hippocrates, an ancient pioneer of Western medicine. This discovery was a revolutionary medical advance at the time and had a profound impact on subsequent medical research. More than 2,000 years later, Edward Stone, an English clergyman, confirmed the antipyretic properties of willow bark by giving the juice of white willow bark to 50 people with fevers. This experiment was one of the earliest attempts to scientifically prove the medicinal properties of nature in the dawn of modern medicine. “Edward Stone presented the antipyretic properties of willow bark to the Royal Society in London, and more than 60 years later, Italian chemist Raffaele Piria isolated salicin from willow bark and used it in a series of chemical reactions to produce salicylic acid. This process is recorded as an important example of drug synthesis using natural substances in modern chemistry. Around the same time, salicylic aldehyde was extracted from the flowers of the wild gypsophila, which could be oxidized to obtain salicylic acid. The Bayer company combined the first letter “A” for acetylsalicylic acid with the scientific name of the poppy and called it aspirin. Aspirin has since become one of the most used medicines in the world.
The reason why so many people consume acetylsalicylic acid every day is because it has so many benefits that it’s been called a cure-all. Acetylsalicylic acid has been used as a pain reliever since it was first discovered for its antipyretic and analgesic properties against various types of pain. Aside from this, aspirin has a wide range of pharmacological properties that can be used against numerous diseases. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-rejection properties. This is especially important in situations where the immune system is overactive. In addition, it has hormonal, physiologic, pharmacologic, anti-inflammatory, and immunosuppressive effects, and is used to treat nephrotic syndrome, various allergic diseases, and rheumatic diseases. In addition, regular consumption of aspirin can help prevent cardiovascular disease, dementia, and other adult diseases. For this reason, aspirin is recommended as a primary preventive medicine in various clinical guidelines. It even reduces the risk of cancer and death, according to a study by Prof. Jack Cuzick and his team. These findings suggest that aspirin is more than just a pain reliever, it’s a versatile drug.
So how does acetylsalicylic acid work as an analgesic? To understand this, we must first understand how pain occurs. When cells in the body are damaged, arachidonic acid is converted by an enzyme called cyclooxygenase (COX) into substances called prostaglandins, which are pain transmitters. These prostaglandins cause pain, so we become aware of cell damage and recognize abnormalities in the body. This process is one of the body’s natural defense mechanisms to protect itself.
However, acetylsalicylic acid preferentially binds to the site on arachidonic acid where COX is supposed to act, inhibiting the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins with the help of COX. This is why we don”t feel pain. Acetylsalicylic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties, as it inhibits the production of prostaglandins, which is what causes inflammation when prostaglandin derivatives are overproduced. This mechanism of action makes acetylsalicylic acid effective not just for pain relief, but also for relieving many symptoms caused by inflammation.
However, as with most medications, acetylsalicylic acid is not perfect. As mentioned above, it has many benefits, but it also has side effects. For example, prostaglandins are more than just pain-inducing substances; they perform a variety of physiological functions. They don”t directly treat the abnormalities in the body that cause pain. They also have a variety of other physiological actions, including platelet aggregation, capillary dilation, inhibition of gastric secretion, bronchial muscle contraction, and relaxation. Therefore, inhibiting the production of prostaglandins by taking acetylsalicylic acid can have side effects such as gastrointestinal pain and excessive bleeding. The risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, in particular, is a major concern with long-term use and may require additional medication or management to prevent this side effect.
Acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, is a nationally recognized essential medication and is available to everyone without a doctor’s prescription. But as they say, too much of a good thing is not enough. Aspirin has many benefits, but like any drug, it can be poisonous if overdosed or misused. It”s important to understand how acetylsalicylic acid works and to take it properly so that it can help you live a healthy life. It’s also important not to take it for long periods of time or overuse it without a doctor’s instructions, and to consult a specialist as needed.