Should You Be Taking Aspirin Daily?
By Rita Rubin
It’s cheap, easy to find, and, according to some, a miracle drug. But should you pop an aspirin every day to stay healthy?
More and more research suggests that this medicine protects against heart attacks, strokes, a variety of cancers, and even preterm birth and preeclampsia, a condition in pregnancy marked by high blood pressure and damage to organs such as the kidneys.
And most recently, a study found that salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin, blocks a protein that can enter brain cells and trigger the process that leads to their death, as seen in diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.