Daily aspirin may do more harm than good

LONDON (AFP) – Healthy people taking a daily dose of aspirin to prevent heart attacks may be doing themselves more harm than good, according to a new study by British scientists.

Researchers found that the risks of bleeding from taking aspirin were such that its routine use in healthy people "cannot be supported" -- although they did not dispute its use in patients with a history of vascular problems.

The results of the Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis (AAA) study add to a long-running debate about whether the potential dangers of taking aspirin could outweigh the benefits from reducing the risk of clots.

"We know that patients with symptoms of artery disease, such as angina, heart attack or stroke, can reduce their risk of further problems by taking a small dose of aspirin each day," said Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation which helped fund the research.

Full story here.

I have been taking a low dose aspirin daily for the last several months due to the fact that I suffer from hypertension.

I hope the benefit from taking the aspirin daily, in my case, far outweighs the risk! Otherwise ... it'll be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.