Regular Aspirin fights cancer and heart disease

Aspirin is useful for women in easing aches and pains but a new study has also found that moderate doses over the long term have reduced the risk of people dying, especially from heart disease.

A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine examined information from a health study involving nearly 80,000 women who were free from heart disease and cancer when they enrolled. Between 1980 and 2004 the women were asked every two years if they used Aspirin regularly and how many tablets were taken a week.

In total 45,305 women did not use aspirin and 29,132 took low to moderate doses ranging from one to 14 standard tablets a week. By 2004 the study showed that 9,477 of the women had died – 1,991 of heart disease and 4,469 of cancer.

Women who took Aspirin had a 25% lower risk of death from any cause, a 38% lower risk of death from heart disease, and a 12% lower risk of death from cancer than women who never took aspirin.

The study also showed that using Aspirin for one to five years reduced heart disease risk, while cancer risk was only reduced after at least ten years of aspirin use.