The middle-aged should take an aspirin daily to help to prevent heart attacks, research has suggested.

A study of almost 12,000 patients found that one in ten men from the age of 48 and one in ten women aged 58 and over were at risk from heart attack, suggesting that everyone in these age groups would benefit from the drug.

Under existing recommendations, a GP will prescribe aspirin if a person has already suffered a heart attack or a stroke. Asprin is also prescribed if factors such as high blood pressure put a patient at high risk of having a heart attack in the next few years.

Reseachers from Nottingham and Sheffield universities said that, in reality, many people are not prescribed aspirin.

The study, published in the journal Heart, looked at patients between the ages of 30 and 75. The researchers found that, from the age of 47 in men and 57 in women, the ten-year coronary heart disease risk is 10 per cent - a risk worth treating, they said.

At that point, unless someone is at risk of dangerous side effects because they have a condition such as a stomach ulcer, the benefits of taking aspirin outweigh the disadvantages, they concluded.

Heart attacks occur when a blood vessel is blocked by a clot, but aspirin makes it harder for blood clots to form. Some have speculated it may be easier to treat everyone over a specific age threshold such as 50 years.

Iskandar Idris, an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield, who led the study, said that routinely prescribing aspirin in these age groups was a feasible option.

However, he added: “The final decision about use of aspirin must eventually be made after discussion with a healthcare provider.”

The recommendations may not apply to people with diabetes or those at high risk of bleeding. Although diabetics are likely to benefit from aspirin treatment because of their high risk of heart disease, the evidence is not yet quite clear, Dr Idris said.

The British Heart Foundation said that more research was needed before “blanket prescribing” could be recommended.

Mike Knapton, director of prevention and care at the charity, said: “Currently the recommendations in the UK are that aspirin is prescribed after a full risk assessment under medical supervision to those who have established cardiovascular disease.

“Further robust research is needed before aspirin should be considered as a blanket primary prevention measure in the UK.

“We would encourage everyone to examine their individual risk and take steps to reduce it by adjusting their lifestyle.”

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