By Maanvi Singh, NPR
We've all heard that an aspirin a day can keep heart disease at bay. But lots of Americans seem to be taking it as a preventive measure, when many probably shouldn't.
In a recent national survey, more than half the adults who were middle age or older reported taking an aspirin regularly to prevent a heart attack or stroke. The Food and Drug Administration only recommends the drug for people who've already experienced such an event, or who are at extremely high risk.
The survey, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that 52 percent of people age 45 to 75 are taking aspirin daily or every other day. And 47 percent are taking it even though they have never had a heart attack or stroke.
"That's very controversial in the medical community," says Craig Williams, a pharmacologist at Oregon State University, who led the study.