HHS HealthBeat (February 17, 2006)

Doing good with aspirin

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

The word is spreading – an aspirin a day can do a person good. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say aspirin use has been going up. The latest survey data show 36 percent of people questioned used aspirin regularly. Compared with results from 1999, that’s up by 20 percent.

The report is in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine

CDC researcher Umed Ajani has the numbers to show people know the reasons they take aspirin:

"Seventy-four percent of those who reported using aspirin said they were using it to reduce their chance of a heart attack or a stroke." (eight seconds)

That’s the payoff. Earlier studies have shown that aspirin taken regularly cuts those risks.

An 81-milligram tab, as opposed to headache-strength 325 milligrams, can do the job.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September, 26 2006