Take aspirin regularly to prevent heart attacks, strokes, USPSTF says

WASHINGTON A new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force underscores the value of regular aspirin use in preventing heart attacks and strokes among many adults, the Partnership for Prevention announced Monday.

The USPSTF found that regular aspirin use reduces first heart attacks in men and first strokes in women. A study by Partnership for Prevention found that if 90% of people who should be taking aspirin were taking aspirin, an additional 45,000 lives would be saved each year. Currently, less than half of people who should be taking aspirin regularly are actually taking it.

"Encouraging doctors to discuss daily aspirin use with their patients is an important way to help people live longer and healthier lives," stated Partnership interim-president Corinne Husten. "We need to make sure that the health reform debate now gathering momentum in Congress gives top priority to increasing the delivery of clinically effective and highly cost-effective preventive services such as regular aspirin use."

Partnership for Prevention is a non-partisan, non-profit organization of business, health care and government leaders who are working to make disease prevention and health promotion a higher priority in the nation's health policies and programs.