(CNN) Low-dose aspirin may help protect the lungs and reduce the need to put patients on ventilators, researchers reported Wednesday. The cheap and widely available pills also keep patients out of ICUs and can reduce the risk of death, probably by preventing tiny blood clots, a team at George Washington University reported in a study published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia. Aspirin use was associated with a 47% reduction for in-hospital mortality, a new study by a team at George Washington University revealed. Aspirin is particularly attractive because it is one of the most widely available over-the-counter drugs. Aspirin can help prevent blood clots, which is why people who have had a heart attack are often advised to take a baby aspirin every day.

Source: CNN March 18, 2021 15:56 UTC