Aspirin...

Is aspirin the closest drug we'll see to a panacea? It seems to have beneficial effects on so many conditions (with the possible exception of stomach bleeds). It seems that with every passing year, scientists find that it has a positive influence on yet another condition or ailment.

Here is a list of its uses and *potential uses:

To relieve headaches
To reduce the severity of heart attacks
To treat rheumatoid arthritis
To reduce inflammation
As an anticoagulant
*To control pre-eclampsia
*To improve memory
*To prevent HIV replicating
*To treatment migraines
*To improving circulation in the gums
*To fight certain cancers
*To prevent of cataracts
*To increase success rates of IVF programs

To add to this ever growing list there's an article on the BBC's website about growing evidence regarding its use in preventing skin cancers. If you're interested in the history of this drug, then I can recommend Diarmuid Jeffreys' fascinating book, Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug.