The latest medical study examines whether aspirin is useful for people who have some heart health risk factors, questioning the American Heart Association, which recommends regular use of aspirin for patients who have had heart attacks and strokes.

Dr. Jeffrey Berger of the NYU Langone Medical Center says, "Aspirin has shown to have significant anti-platelet effects. Platelets are really responsible for the development of a clot in the artery, which can actually cause heart attack or stroke".

The researchers observed 3,300 people from Scotland and measured their ankle brachial index. Ankle brachial index is a ratio of one's blood pressure in their arm to their blood pressure in their ankle.

The study revealed that aspirin was no better than a placebo at avoiding heart attacks or strokes among patients with PAD.

Berger says, "In patients that are high risk, whether it is low ankle brachial index, whether it is high blood pressure, whether it's high lipid values, it's unclear how much of a benefit you will get for being on aspirin therapy. But as your risk increases, your benefit is more pronounced".

Doctors like Berger emphasize that this study does not challenge whether aspirin is effective. Instead, it leaves the decision to patients who are at risk of heart disease to weigh the pros and cons of taking aspirin on a regular basis.