Taking aspirin every other day ‘cuts cancer risk by more than 40%'

• Harvard researchers found that even a very low dose of the painkiller drastically reduces the odds of bowel and stomach cancer
• They think it may take several years for aspirin’s beneficial effects to ‘kick-in.’

TAKING aspirin every other day cuts the risk of certain cancers by more than 40 per cent, according a study.

Harvard researchers have found that even a very low dose of the painkiller drastically reduces the odds of bowel and stomach cancers.

Women who took one 100mg tablet every other day were 43 per cent less likely to get bowel cancer and 36 per cent less at risk of stomach cancer, after a period of 20 years.

Recently a number of studies have shown that a daily dose of aspirin drastically cuts the risk of developing cancer, and of tumours spreading once diagnosed.
But until now it was not known whether the pills had similar, preventative effects when taken less frequently.

Although aspirin has been dubbed the wonder drug as it protects against heart attacks, strokes and cancer, it also causes stomach bleeds and ulcers in some patients.
Taking a low dose of the drug every other day however would mean such patients would be less likely to succumb to these side effects.

Researchers from Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston, the US, looked at the records of 39,876 women over 45.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2229573/Taking-aspirin-day-cuts-cancer-risk-40.html#ixzz2EejrNgGV