“Daily aspirin recommended in US but still not in Britain”

This headline recently appeared in the Telegraph. The article discusses new recommendations about aspirin use from a group of health officials in the United States (US), and how they differ to those in the United Kingdom (UK). The US recommendations suggest that people aged between 50 and 69 who are known to have a moderate increased risk of heart disease should consider taking daily aspirin to reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer as well as heart and circulatory problems.

This is not the current recommendation in the UK, and doesn’t provide a recommendation for those who have had cancer. The best way to find out more about the health benefits of aspirin is in a clinical trial.

The Add-Aspirin trial is testing whether daily aspirin can prevent cancer returning after cancer treatment, and will also test the other potential health benefits of aspirin including the prevention of heart and circulatory problems. It will also assess whether aspirin help prevent new cancers developing.  The results of trials such as Add-Aspirin will help guide health officials on future recommendations about aspirin use.