Miracle pill aspirin could even ward off major cancers

Healthy middle-aged people should be encouraged to take low-dose aspirin every day to ward off cancer, a leading scientist has said.

A major review of trials and studies has shown long-term use of the drug cuts the risk of developing major cancers and dying from them by around a third.

And those with heart problems already taking a low dose to prevent recurrence of their condition would also gain from its anti-cancer properties.

If everyone in the UK aged 50 to 64 took aspirin for ten years it would save 6,000 lives a year – 4,000 men and 2,000 women.

An estimated 130,357 cancer deaths could be avoided over two decades plus 9,473 fatal heart attacks in those who had not previously suffered heart problems.

The downside is that widespread use of aspirin would be expected to cause just under 18,000 deaths over 20 years, mainly due to internal bleeding and strokes, some of the potentially fatal side-effects of taking the drug.

However, scientists calculated that many more Britons would benefit than suffer side-effects. 

From the dailymail