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Published on: February 28, 2012
Aspirin: benefit and risk in thromboprophylaxis
1Division of Medicine, General Infirmary, Leeds, UK.
Abstract:
Aspirin is often perceived either as a harmless panacea or as a useless poison which causes endless, needless trouble. We have carefully reviewed the literature on all aspects of aspirin and find that neither view is justified. Regular use of even low-dose aspirin (150 mg/day or less) may lead to clinically-important adverse events, particularly haemorrhage. The risk of such an event is considerably outweighed by the benefit for patients with a significant risk of a thromboembolic event. For individuals without a clear risk of thrombosis or thromboembolism, the balance is more even: indiscriminate aspirin-taking is to be discouraged.
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