How Much Aspirin Is Enough Aspirin?

OK, Geezer has heard for years that an aspirin a day is good for the heart, but when he tried to learn how much aspirin, the ensuing debate gave him a headache, for which he took two more aspirin. Life is simpler now, thanks to a study conducted at the University of Kentucky’s Gill Heart Institute. There, researchers looked at 11 clinical
trials and observational studies including more than 40,000 people.
The Boston Globe reports on the study, which found that while doses of 162 to 325 milligrams (the strength of an adult aspirin)
were appropriate for acute situations in which platelet formation
needs to be blocked quickly, taking such doses on a daily basis over a
period of years was associated with gastrointestinal bleeding. Doses of
81 and 325 milligrams are most commonly prescribed in the United
States, although the evidence clearly favors the lower amount, Head researcher Charles Campbell told the Globe that on a daily basis, "an uncoated 81-milligram tablet is the way to
go." Read more.