Recent research has questioned the use of low-dose aspirin being routinely prescribed to help prevent heart disease and strokes in high risk patients.
Currently, experts in the UK, US and Europe recommend aspirin for people who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease because of factors including, age, blood pressure and high cholesterol. Evidence for the benefit of prescription of aspirin has been based upon the result of studies looking at predicted risks and benefits in high risk patients.
In this new research, researchers from Oxford University have looked at data from 100,000 clinical trial participants to see if the risk of side-effects outweigh the benefits of taking the drug.
They looked at six trials, in 95,000 people at low to average risk of heart attack and stroke and 17,000 people at high risk because they had already had a heart attack or stroke.
A daily low-dose of aspirin was found to reduce non-fatal heart attacks by around a fifth, with no change in difference to stroke risk. But, it also increased the risk of internal bleeding by around a third.
Researchers say that in people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, the benefits of taking low-dose aspirin clearly outweigh the risk of adverse effects.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not made a ruling in this area. If you would like advice, see your healthcare professional.