Aspirin should be given to all patients at high risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study. A group of experts have analysed research trials involving more than 200,000 patients and issued definitive recommendations on the use of aspirin and other blood-thinning agents.
They conclude that aspirin reduces the risk of a non-fatal heart attack by one-third in at-risk patients. The risk of stroke is reduced by one-quarter and death from serious vascular disease by one-sixth.
The researchers, in the British Medical Journal, say the benefits of aspirin therapy far outweigh the hazards of taking blood-thinning medications.
The authors of the analysis recommend 75-150 milligrammes of aspirin a day as the optimum dose.