If you’ve ever seen those super serious Bayer ads, you might know that aspirin can help fend off heart disease, and now a new study says taking it regularly could cut the risk of developing hereditary cancer by 50%.

Forbes cites research published in The Lancet, a medical journal, which studied 1000 patients around the globe for over four years. It consisted mostly of people suffering from Lynch syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder. Many with the syndrome eventually develop cancer, often colon cancer.

The study looked at all cancers related to the syndrome-including colon, rectal, stomach, and endometrial-and found that almost 30% of the patients not taking aspirin (they took a starch-based placebo) had developed cancer compared to around 15% of those taking daily aspirin. For colorectal cancer, the risk reduction was 63%.

Interesting to note that the amount of aspirin recommended for the study was 600 mg a day, compared to the 80 mg suggested for those at risk for heart disease. Bayer was also a sponsor of the study, not surprising as they already fund cancer research.

Study: Daily Aspirin Cuts Hereditary Cancer Risk in Half [Forbes]

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