STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THAT ASPIRIN IS LESS EFFECTIVE FOR PREVENTING HEART ATTACK IN WOMEN THAN IN MEN, ALTHOUGH WOMEN DO BENEFIT FROM A SIMILAR REDUCTION IN RISK OF STROKE DUE TO A BLOCKED ARTERY. HOWEVER, A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT THE APPARENT LOWER EFFICACY IN WOMEN IS NOT DUE TO A FAILURE OF ASPIRIN TO REDUCE PLATELET CLUMPING OR AGGREGATION, AS HAS BEEN PROPOSED, REUTERS REPORTED. 'WOMEN ARE CLEARLY BENEFITING FROM TAKING ASPIRIN AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE IT TO IMPROVE THEIR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH,' DR. DIANE M. BECKER STATES IN A JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS RELEASE. 'ASPIRIN HAS BEEN PROVEN BY ALL PREVIOUS STUDIES TO LOWER THE RISK OF STROKE AND, AS OUR LATEST FINDINGS SHOW, IT ALSO REDUCES PLATELET AGGREGATION THAT CAN LEAD TO POTENTIALLY FATAL CLOTS IN BLOOD VESSELS.' TO EXPLORE WHY ASPIRIN SEEMS TO EXERT DIFFERENT EFFECTS IN MEN AND WOMEN, BECKER, FROM THE JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS IN BALTIMORE, AND HER TEAM STUDIED THE EFFECTS OF 14 DAYS OF ASPIRIN THERAPY ON PLATELETS -- ELEMENTS IN THE BLOOD INVOLVED IN CLOTTING. --MORE 23 04 LOCAL TIME 20 04 GMT
