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The Takeaway: Taking Aspirin? Don't Stop; Longevity Study; Prehistoric Grandparents
By Tina Johnson-Marcel, July 25, 2011 10:04 AM
Aspirin wards off heart attack--just don't stop taking it, study warns. Researchers tracked people ages 50 to 84 and found patients with a history of heart disease who had recently stopped low-dose aspirin were 63 percent more likely to have a heart attack. "Even stopping aspirin for 15 days was associated with the short-term risk." 
... Researchers retract study that links genes to longevity. Last year scientists claimed in a breakthrough (and controversial) study that they were able to predict life expectancies of certain peop
le, based on genetic markers."The researchers were able to determine with 77 percent accuracy which gene groups came from people older than 100." Not so fast. That report was withdrawn last week after the authors conducted new tests after finding problems with an instrument used to measure the original data. "Details of the new analysis change substantially from those originally published online to the point of becoming a new report. Therefore, we retract the original manuscript and will pursue alternative publication of the new findings."
... In other longevity news: Prehistoric grandparents made us who were are today? A fascinating report from the Scientific American finds that 30-year-old Homo Sapiens, the "old folks" of their time, were key to human survival. "Thirty thousand years ago, the human species had a senior moment. Numbers of adults reaching the age of 30 began to rise dramatically. Very soon after, there was a significant increase in artistic expression, food production and the creation of complex tools and weapons. The surge in numbers of elderly humans triggered a cultural explosion that established our species as masters of the planet." Another way prehistoric elders contributed to human longevity? Institutional knowledge: "Elders pass on knowledge of poisonous food, the location of water supplies and important skills such as tool-making. " ... One more: Rush drummer Neil Peart proves that being 57, a rocker, and a workout warrior is not an anomaly.
Debt-limit update: Senate Democrats plan to unveil a $2.7 trillion debt-reduction package today; GOP's Boehner is expected to forge ahead with a two-stage plan. What's in it for you?
... Health notes: ... Is it safe to split pills to cut costs? It depends. ... New research indicates that those with a more positive outlook are less likely to have a stroke. ...
... Wedding bells in the Empire State. They've waited long enough - 12 years, 20 years, 40 years - and Sunday was the day. Forget about a nice afternoon ceremony, hundreds of same-sex couples took no chances and got married at the stroke of midnight. Also: Gay rights have come a long way, but some couples still face hurdles to equality. Here, one woman's story.
(Photos: Aspirin: Jonathan Nourok/Getty Images; Octavio Orduno, 103 rides his bike in Long Beach, Calif., in March. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)