Function

• Aspirin can prevent heart attack and certain types of stroke by interfering with the natural blood-clotting ability of the body's blood platelets and reducing platelet clumping that can block the arteries.
  
  

Benefits

• According to the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study, women who took a daily dose of aspirin had a 25 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 14 percent lower risk of death from any other cause.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Traditionally, women who were at higher risk for cardiovascular disease were encouraged to take a higher dose of aspirin each day, but according to the WHI study, evidence suggests that a lower dose (81 mg) is equally as beneficial as a higher dose (325 mg).
  
  

Significance

• According to the Mayo Clinic, more women than men die of heart disease each year, and women are also six times as likely to die of heart disease each year than breast cancer.
  
  

Warning

• Because taking aspirin regularly can increase the chances of gastrointestinal bleeding, such as a stomach ulcer, and hemorrhagic stroke, consultation with a doctor is recommended before beginning aspirin as a daily medication regimen.