Men and women get different benefits from daily aspirin

"The benefit of daily aspirin appears to differ by gender - for men it means fewer heart attacks, but in women it reduces the risk of stroke, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The gender disparity emerged in studies reported after 2002 and the new information led the guideline agency to tweak its recommendation on aspirin, recommending a daily dose for men ages 45 to 79 to prevent myocardial infarction and for women ages 55 to 79 to reduce risk of ischemic strokes. The new recommendation, published in the March 17 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, addresses primary prevention in men and women who have no history of coronary heart disease or stroke. And in both cases the potential benefit - reducing heart attacks in men and strokes in women - should be weighed against the risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, the guideline writers said" - MedPage Today