MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) – Recent research reveals that taking an aspirin a day can reduce the risk of cancer, The Guardian reported Wednesday.
The research, which claims to be the biggest so far, was conducted by Professor Jack Cuzick, head of the center for cancer prevention at Queen Mary University, London. It claims that people between the ages of 50 and 65 should consider regularly taking the tablets with a low dosage of 75 milligrams, The Guardian reported.
It is estimated that if 50- to 64-year-old Britons took an aspirin a day, more than 130,000 deaths would be avoided since the pill’s beneficial effects continue even after the drug has stopped working.
Taking aspirin “looks to be the most important thing we can do to reduce cancer after stopping smoking and reducing obesity, and will probably be much easier to implement,” Cuzick was quoted by The Guardian as saying.
Cuzick added that he had been taking aspirin for the last four years, keeping it beside his bed. “I take aspirin as part of a bedtime ritual every day,” he was quoted by the Guardian as saying. “I can achieve that quite easily.”
The Guardian said however, that aspirin needed to be taken for five to 10 years for the benefits of the drug to be seen.
Aspirin is a painkiller and has been proved to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as the likelihood of certain types of cancers. There have been fears its benefits might not outweigh its risks since aspirin can lead to stomach bleeds, potentially fatal in some people.
