A recent study from British researchers found that taking aspirin regularly may do more harm than good, reducing the chances of heart attack or stroke by 10 percent, but may increase the risk of bleeding in the brain or stomach by one-third. Outcomes,” was published in the latest issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. Controversy continues in the medical community over whether aspirin helps prevent heart disease. Researchers suggest that the use of aspirin in treatment depends on the specific case. The disadvantages outweigh the benefits A team of researchers at the University of London looked at data from nine clinical trials. More than 100,000 patients who participated in the trials had no history of cardiovascular disease. In the trials, half of the patients took aspirin daily or every other day, and half took a substitute that had no real effect. The average duration of the trial was six years. The study was the largest of its kind. The results showed that patients who took aspirin on a daily basis were 10% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, but the reduction was mainly for non-fatal heart attacks, with no reduction in the risk of death from heart attack or stroke. However, regular aspirin use may increase the risk of bleeding in the stomach or brain by one-third, almost completely offsetting the benefits to the heart. In a report published by the American Journal of Internal Medicine, the researchers wrote that one in 120 patients who took aspirin regularly “escaped” heart disease, but one in 73 suffered internal bleeding. In addition, the study did not find that aspirin reduced the risk of cancer death. Previous studies have shown that aspirin may prevent bowel cancer. The Daily Mail quoted the report’s lead author, Rao Cesar, as saying on Jan. 10. There is no dispute that patients with a history of heart disease can continue to take aspirin because it can prevent another heart attack, Cesar reported. However, the effect of aspirin on such patients “is not as great as previously thought. Cesar suggests that even in low-risk patients, doctors should decide on a case-by-case basis whether to use aspirin in their treatment. Previous studies have shown that taking aspirin regularly can reduce the chance of another heart attack or stroke by up to one-third. However, it is not clear whether this drug has the same effect on non-heart patients. Even so, some doctors prescribe low doses of aspirin to patients, and some people buy aspirin directly from pharmacies in an effort to prevent heart disease. The battle over effectiveness In recent years, more studies have shown that giving aspirin to patients without heart disease may be counterproductive. A 2009 report published in the British medical journal Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin said that aspirin should be abandoned for non-cardiac patients. Another 2009 British study showed that aspirin may double the risk of internal bleeding in non-cardiac patients, with no effect on the chance of heart attack or stroke. Natasha Stewart, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said, “There is no such thing as aspirin. Stewart said, “People who are not diagnosed with heart disease should not take aspirin because the risk of internal bleeding may outweigh the benefits.” Nick Henderson, executive director of the British Aspirin Foundation, said, “People who are not diagnosed with heart disease should not take aspirin because the risk of internal bleeding may outweigh the benefits. Henderson, however, argued that the University of London study was “inconsistent with many existing medical opinions”.