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Experts believe taking a low dose of aspirin every day can help prevent bowel cancer.
A study, published in gastroenterology journal Gut, concluded that people who took a daily dose of 75mg of aspirin were less likely to develop the disease.
Researchers tested almost 2,800 people with bowel cancer and nearly 3,000 healthy people and discovered that taking aspirin every day for one to three years could cut the risk of developing bowel cancer by 19%.
The risk reduced by 24% for people taking doses for three to five years, while those who popped an aspirin for five to 10 years were almost a third less likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
However, the study suggested that doubling the dose of aspirin wouldn’t be any more effective in reducing a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer, and that even the lowest amount taken daily would be beneficial.
Steve Williamson, consultant pharmacist in cancer from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “This study adds to the weight of evidence already around that daily low-dose aspirin can reduce risk of developing bowel cancer.
“However, people must remember that aspirin, even at its lowest dose, isn’t suitable for everyone, and patients should always talk to their doctor or pharmacist about the potential benefits of taking aspirin.”
Copyright Press Association 2010
