If you are on the wrong side of 50, it makes a lot of sense to take a baby aspirin (75 milligrams) every day to cut down the risk of stroke, Alzheim-er?s, cancer and a host of other unforeseen diseases of old age. This is what Prof. Peter Elwood, a researcher at the Cardiff University Medical School, suggests, after investigating aspirin?s links with the cardiovascular diseases.

According to Elwood, a flurry of research papers has already established that low-dose aspirin cuts down the occurrence of strokes and heart attacks to about a third.

Speaking at a conference in London organised by the Aspirin Foundation, he lamented the fact that in spite of such proven efficacy, only 53 per cent of patients who suffered stroke or heart disease ? and supposed to take the medicine regularly ? pop their daily pills.

Another researcher, Antony Bayer, a senior fellow in geriatric medicine at Cardiff, said that 80 per cent of North American specialists thought aspirin should be given to patients with dementia, Alzheimer?s and cardiovascular risk factors.

He also mentioned a recent study which found 28 per cent reduction in the risk of breast cancer among women who regularly took aspirin once a day as a painkiller.

However, the conference also emphasised that before the regular dose of aspirin is made compulsory, the pill?s strong side-effects ? such as stomach bleeding ? have to be taken care of.

4 not-so-old prescribed uses of the drug

1: Strokes: Aspirin?s use is now recommended in both men and women to treat mini-strokes (transient ischaemic attack), or ischaemic stroke, to prevent subsequent attacks or death.

2: Heart attacks: Aspirin reduces the risk of death in patients with suspected acute heart attacks (myocardial infarctions), prevents recurrent heart attacks and reduces the risk of heart attacks or sudden death in patients with unstable and chronic stable angina pectoris (chest pain).

3: Other coronary conditions: According to latest reports, aspirin can be used to treat patients who have had procedures such as angioplasty and coronary bypass operations ? if they have a blood vessel problem.

4: Rheumatologic problems: Aspirin is helpful for relief of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, arthritis and pleurisy associated with the dreaded disease lupus.