FDA questions use of aspirin to prevent first heart attack

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FDA questions use of aspirin to prevent first heart attack

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday questioned the value of taking aspirin to try to ward off a first heart attack or stroke in people who have never had cardiovascular problems. The FDA's statement follows its decision last week to turn down a request by German drugmaker Bayer AG to change the labeling on packages in order to market aspirin's value in preventing heart attacks in people who have never had cardiovascular disease. Dr. Robert Temple, the agency's deputy director for clinical science, said in an FDA "consumer update" that people should use daily aspirin therapy only after talking to a healthcare professional who can assess the benefits and risks. Such aspirin therapy reduces the clumping action of the blood's clotting cells, called platelets, and may prevent a heart attack, according to experts.

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