A number of news outlets recently reported on a new study which has looked at the benefits and risks of taking daily aspirin for individuals without a history of heart disease.
The study pooled data from a number of previous, large clinical trials which have looked at this. The results suggested that aspirin can prevent heart attacks and strokes in these individuals. However, a known but rare side effect of aspirin is internal bleeding. As has been seen in other studies, this research confirmed that those individuals who were taking aspirin in the trials were more likely to suffer serious bleeding, though the risk of bleeding for any individual was small.
