Low-dose aspirin used to prevent strokes and heart attacks can cause life threatening stomach bleeding, an Australian study shows.
The study looked at all patients admitted to Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital with gastrointestinal bleeding during three six-month periods between 1999 and 2001.
A third of the patients who suffered stomach haemorrhages were taking low-dose aspirin while a quarter were using anti-inflammatory drugs.
A single daily tablet of 100 to 150 milligrams, may be too high, said the chairman of rheumatology, Jim Bertouch. He said 75mg doses may be more appropriate.
