title: Aspirin: benefit and risk in thromboprophylaxis.
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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine, General Infirmary, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Prentice
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D001241:Aspirin