ASA meaning in Medical ?

Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a medication used to reduce pain, fever, or inflammation. Specific inflammatory conditions which aspirin is used to treat include Kawasaki disease, pericarditis, and rheumatic fever.

Aspirin given shortly after a heart attack decreases the risk of death. Aspirin is also used long-term to help prevent further heart attacks, ischaemic strokes, and blood clots in people at high risk. For pain or fever, effects typically begin within 30 minutes. Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and works similarly to other NSAIDs but also suppresses the normal functioning of platelets. Aspirin, often used as an analgesic, anti-pyretic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is able to have an anti-platelet effect by inhibiting the COX activity in the platelet to prevent the production of thromboxane A2 which acts to bind platelets together during coagulation as well as cause vasoconstriction and bronchoconstriction.

Evidence suggests that aspirin as a chemoprotective agent may reduce overall cancer incidence and mortality in colorectal, esophageal, and gastric cancers, with smaller effects on prostate, breast, and lung cancer. A review of randomised control trials showed that doses between 75 and 300 mg daily reduced overall cancer incidence by 12% after three years and also demonstrated a 33% reduction in mortality and 25% reduction in the incidence of colorectal cancer with a median follow up of 18.3 years.

One common adverse effect is an upset stomach. More significant side effects include stomach ulcers, stomach bleeding, and worsening asthma. Bleeding risk is greater among those who are older, drink alcohol, take other NSAIDs, or are on other blood thinners. Aspirin is not recommended in the last part of pregnancy. It is not generally recommended in children with infections because of the risk of Reye syndrome. High doses may result in ringing in the ears.

A precursor to aspirin found in leaves from the willow tree (genus Salix) has been used for its health effects for at least 2,400 years. In 1853, chemist Charles Frédéric Gerhardt treated the medicine sodium salicylate with acetyl chloride to produce acetylsalicylic acid for the first time. For the next 50 years, other chemists established the chemical structure and devised more efficient production methods.: 69–75 

Aspirin is one of the most widely used medications globally, with an estimated 40,000 tonnes (44,000 tons) (50 to 120 billion pills) consumed each year. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. In 2019, it was the 38th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 18 million prescriptions.