Monday, March 26, 2007

Aspirin shows benefit in older women

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 14 minutes ago
Aspirin in low to moderate doses may lower the risk of death in women, particularly those who are older and prone to heart disease, a 24-year study of nearly 80,000 women suggests.
However, experts cautioned that the results are not definitive and that women should not take aspirin as a health preventive without talking to their doctor.
In this long-running study of nurses who were middle-aged and older, women who took aspirin had a 25 percent lower risk of death compared to those who never took it. Aspirin-takers had a 38 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 12 percent lower risk of death from cancer.
Many doctors advise people who've had heart attacks and strokes to take a daily 81-milligram baby aspirin, costing less than 50 cents a week. The new study suggests aspirin may help healthy women, too.

No comments: