Aspirin use lowers 24-year mortality risk in women.

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Women who regularly used low to moderate doses of aspirin (1-14 325-mg tablets per week) had a lower risk than non-users of dying from any cause, especially cardiovascular disease, during a 24-year period. *

Scientists evaluated data from 79,439 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study, who were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at the study's onset. The women were queried every two years from 1980 to 2004 concerning aspirin use. Current aspirin users had a 25% lower risk of dying from any cause, a 38% lower risk of cardiovascular disease death, and a 12% lower risk of dying of cancer than those that had never been regular users.

According to the authors, "aspirin therapy may influence cardiovascular disease and cancer through its effect on common pathogenic pathways such as inflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme activity."

Reference

* Chan AT, Manson JE, Feskanich D, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Fuchs CS. Long-term aspirin use and mortality in women. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Mar 26;167(6):562-72.