(Forbes) A new study in Annals of Oncology finds that the benefits of daily aspirin may outweigh the risks, at least when it comes to cancers of the digestive tract – bowel, stomach and esophageal.
There was a smaller, but appreciable reduction in the risk of heart attack and stroke. Because of the bleeding risks associated with aspirin, there's been some debate over whether the health benefits are worth this potentially serious risk. But the new study from Queen Mary University of London finds that, if taken over a decade, aspirin's ability to reduce the incidence of these health issues, as well as the risk of death, clearly outweighs the risk.
"It has long been known that aspirin – one of the cheapest and most common drugs on the market – can protect against certain types of cancer," said Jack Cuzick. "But until our study, where we analysed all the available evidence, it was unclear whether the pros of taking aspirin outweighed the cons."
Now, they say, it's quite clear.