Long-Term Aspirin use Reduces Death in Women

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A small dose of aspirin may decrease women's risk of dying from any cause, especially heart disease.

A new report from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston looked at the association between taking aspirin and death in 79,439 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study -- female nurses who researchers have followed since 1976. The women had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer when the study began in 1980.

During the study, 45,305 women did not take any aspirin; 29,132 took low to moderate doses (one to 14 325-milligram tablets a week); and 5,002 had more than 14 aspirin tablets per week.

By 2004, 9,477 of the women had died -- 1,991 of heart disease and 4,469 of cancer. Researchers report women who reported taking aspirin had a 25-percent lower risk of dying from any cause than women who never took aspirin regularly. Women who took aspirin had a 38-percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 12-percent lower risk of dying of cancer.

Researchers say taking aspirin for one to five years was associated with significant reductions in cardiovascular mortality, but a big reduction in cancer deaths was not seen until after 10 years of taking aspirin. They note there are several ways aspirin could reduce the risk of death.

Study authors suggest one reason aspirin reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer is because it reduces inflammation.

The authors conclude the results do not suggest that all women should take aspirin, however, more research on taking aspirin for chronic disease prevention is needed.

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SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2007;167:562-572