We've heard a lot of evidence about the ability of aspirin to improve mortality from heart attacks in the short term. Now a new study has found that aspirin continues to protect against death from all causes in heart patients over a three-year period.

In a study of 6,174 adults who underwent stress echo tests to evaluate coronary disease, just over one-third were taking aspirin (37%). In the following three years, 4.5% of these individuals died. When looking just at the mortality rates, it was the same in people taking aspirin as in those not taking aspirin. However, after adjusting the data for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, use of other medications, and other factors, it became clear that twice as many people who were not taking aspirin died.

Therefore, the researchers concluded, those taking aspirin were at lower risk for death. This was particularly true for older patients, those with known coronary artery disease, and those with impaired exercise capacity.

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