An Aspirin a day, keeps the Doctor away!

An aspirin a day, keeps the doctor away.
Or does it?
Aside from being a potent painkiller to help with
that numbing headache or aching pain in your
back, doctors today routinely prescribe a daily
regimen of aspirin to help prevent heart attack
and stroke. And a number of studies also
indicate that they may also be able to decrease
your likelihood of certain types of cancer.
But not everyone should be taking the little while
pills. Talk to your doctor first about taking it
daily. Doctors agree that a low dose -- as little
as 75 milligrams, which is less than a baby
aspirin -- can help those patients who have
already had (or are at high risk for) a heart
attack or stroke. For those with a low risk of
heart disease, potential side effects such as
internal bleeding and stomach ulcers may
outweigh the preventative benefits. While the
benefits of aspirin seem strong, always consult
your doctor before starting daily usage.
While findings on aspirin's preventative qualities
only date back a few decades, aspirin's pain
relieving quality have been used for thousands
of years. As the late medical writer Berton
Roueche wrote in his anthology, "The Medical
Detectives, " "There are no countries in which it is
unknown, unappreciated, or unavailable."
But the news on aspirin has evolved since since
the merits of the popular pain reliever became
known long ago. Let's take a look at the
timeline.
 ✔
In 1982, the Nobel Prize in medicine was
awarded to researchers who discovered that
aspirin inhibits the production of a hormone
called prostaglandins, which are responsible for
forming the clots that lead to heart attacks and
strokes.
✔
In 1993, the American Heart Association
endorsed using aspirin as a preventative
measure against cardiovascular risks. Four years
later, they estimated as many as 10,000
American lives could be saved each year if
everyone took a single 325 milligram tablet of
aspirin at the first signs of a severe heart attack.

CNN