Low Dose Aspirin for the Over-Fifties? (BBC News / Annals of Oncology)

Summary

Analysis of roughly 200 studies investigating the benefits and harms of taking aspirin indicates that a small dose of aspirin every day could help to prevent deaths from bowel, stomach and oesophageal cancers. Approximately 122,000 deaths could be prevented in the UK over two decades if everyone aged 50 or above took the drug for 10 years. Readers are cautioned that aspirin can cause internal bleeding, so medical advice is recommended.

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Reference

Mundasad, S. (2014). Daily aspirin ‘cuts bowel and stomach cancer deaths’. London: BBC Health News, August 6^th 2014.

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Reference

Cuzick, J, Thorat, MA. Bosetti, C. [et al]. (2014). Estimates of benefits and harms of prophylactic use of aspirin in the general population. Annals of Oncology. August 5^th 2014. [Epub ahead of print].