An aspirin a day keeps the heart attacks away, at least for some

Aspirin can lower the risk of heart attacks and some future cancers. But just because the over-the-counter drug can help prevent future health problems in some people doesn’t mean everyone should put themselves on an aspirin regimen.

Physicians’ initially recommended that those at high risk for heart problems take a low, 80 mg dose of aspirin every day. However, in 2014, the FDA found that that same dosage in healthy people produced more risk than benefit.

Aspirin was found to activate enzymes that can irritate the stomach and intestinal tissues, causing ulcers and bleeding. For those individuals who had not yet suffered a heart attack, the risk was deemed unnecessary.

Despite the advice, 40 percent of men and 10 percent of women who fit the criteria for a low-dose aspirin regimen are not currently taking the drug. The authors also predict that if everyone who meets the conditions would take the drug as recommended, an estimated 900,000 more people would be alive by 2036. That’s because for every 1,000 people, 11 cases of heart disease and four cases of cancer would be averted.

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