Preventing Blood Clots

A familiar staple in many people's medicine cabinet may help prevent life-threatening blood clots.

Blood clots that develop in veins called deep vein thromboses can be dangerous. They can break loose and travel to the heart, lungs, or brain, triggering a medical emergency.

In a new study from the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers looked into whether aspirin can help protect people from having additional episodes of these problems. They followed 402 people who'd had these blood clots. Everyone took anti-clotting drugs for a time, then switched to either aspirin or a placebo. People who took aspirin were about 40-percent less likely to have additional deep-vein thromboses. But they didn't seem to have a higher risk of major bleeding, which can be a problem with aspirin.

If you've had these types of blood clots, ask your doctor about the best way to prevent future episodes.

I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that your doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.

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