A study being released today in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine offers somewhat surprising results regarding the health benefits of middle-age women taking aspirin. The study, which was led by Julie Buring, and Dr. Paul Ridker at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, indicates that although women can reduce their risk of strokes by taking a daily aspirin, this regimen does not appear to prevent heart attacks.

These results are the reverse of those for men where aspirin seems to help prevent heart attacks, but does not seem to have any affect on the risk of stroke.

Additionally, this study seems to indicate that taking vitamin E benefits no one.

40,000 women who were 45 or older and all worked in the health care profession participated in the study. Some were given low dose (100 milligrams) aspirin, while other received a placebo. After a period of ten years, 17 percent of those who were given aspirin had a lower risk of stroke and 24 percent had a lower risk of strokes resulting from blood clots.

As women age, it seems the benefits of aspirin increase. The women in the study who were 65 and older seemed be be 30 percent less at risk for stroke and 34 percent safer from heart attack.

There were some side effects from taking aspirin, however. Some women complained of intestinal bleeding. Additionally, this regimen does not seem to benefit women who smoked.