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Does aspirin really help protect against stokes
and heart attacks? |
Many older people take an aspirin every day in the belief that
it will prevent strokes and heart attacks.
But is there any scientific evidence to back this up? The answer,
you may be surprised to learn, is yes. When an aspirin enters the
body it essentially thins the blood thereby discouraging a blood
vessel blockage - the main cause of strokes and heart attacks.
Research has constantly shown that taking an aspirin every day
for a sustained period of time will lower your risk of suffering
one of these potentially life threatening events.
However, before you rush of to the chemists, you should know that
the reduction of risk is only very small. But any reduction is good,
right? Well, not if there's a long list of possible side effects
to take into account. Taking an aspirin on a regular basis can cause
indigestion, prolonged bleeding and in some cases stomach ulcers.
Diet and lifestyle choices have a far greater effect on your likelihood
of suffering a stroke or heart attack but with none of the side
effects of popping an aspirin a day. So really the best advice is
to eat healthily, exercise regularly and leave that of aspirin bottle
alone.
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