Routine aspirin benefits queried

[muriel_volestrangler]

Low-dose aspirin should not routinely be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes, contrary to official guidance, say UK researchers.

Analysis of data from over 100,000 clinical trial participants found the risk of harm largely cancelled out the benefits of taking the drug.

Only those who have already had a heart attack or stroke should be advised to take a daily aspirin, they found.
...
But experts in the UK, US and Europe recommend aspirin for people who have not already had a heart attack or stroke, but are at high risk of cardiovascular disease because of factors such as age, blood pressure and cholesterol level.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8072215.stm

[MannyGoldstein]

1. It's Never Been Shown That Routine Aspirin Increases Life Expectancy

Puzzling evidence.

[trotsky]

2. Interesting findings.

We shouldn't be too surprised, I suppose. One-size-fits-all just isn't ever going to work when it comes to medicine.

[mopinko]

3. i think your snip is misleading

another snip-
Use of aspirin in the lower-risk group (people at low to average risk) was found to reduce non-fatal heart attacks by around a fifth, with no difference in the risk of stroke or deaths from vascular causes.
But it also increased the risk of internal bleeding by around a third.
********

i'll take that risk myself. i have high cholesterol, although i take a statin for that. i have a not great family history, although not terrible. i take aspirin every other day. i think that when your blood starts getting that thin, you would start seeing symptoms. slow motion, non-fatal side effects vs heart attack or stroke that may not kill me, but might result in serious damage to my heart, my brain, my life.