" Dose: Two 325 milligram tablets every four hours as needed. Under a doctor's care, the amount can be more than 20 pills a day."

" Caution: It doesn't take much to prevent clotting, but too much aspirin can make bleeding tougher to stop. Also, don't take aspirin if you're taking a prescription blood thinner."

" Caution: Aspirin is linked to Reye's syndrome, a neurological disorder. Statistics show that 90 to 95 percent of people who develop Reye's syndrome have taken aspirin to relieve the symptoms of a viral infection. Reye's can be fatal. This is especially true for children, so the standard is to never give aspirin to children for an illness caused by a virus. "

" Chewing two aspirin during a heart attack can get your blood moving enough to get you to an emergency room."

" Chewing aspirin during a stroke can relieve clotting in the brain. But a stroke also can be caused by bleeding in the brain, in which case you shouldn't use aspirin. Check with your doctor about your risks. "

" Dose: If you get the OK, chew two tablets, 325 milligrams each, when you feel the symptoms. Then get to an emergency room."

" Aspirin is associated with reduced cancer risks, especially for colorectal cancer. In April, the American Cancer Society published a study that said aspirin shows promise as a drug to reduce cancer risks. But medical researchers aren't ready to tell people to take aspirin to prevent cancer."

" Dose: No one knows, but if you're taking an aspirin a day for cardiovascular protection, that could be enough. Right now, the association is based on numbers. "

" Dr. Philip Majerus discovered a few decades ago that aspirin can help prevent heart attacks and stroke. Since then, Majerus, a professor at Washington University, has maintained a deep respect for this little white pill, which has been around since the 1800s."

" "Aspirin is the most effective drug that we have," Majerus says. "If we eliminated all but three drugs, aspirin would be one" of the three drugs we should keep, he says. "

" Doctors still like it because, while there's a pill for every ailment aspirin addresses, aspirin is the only pill that takes care of so many conditions. Consumers still like it because it's the least expensive and most versatile drug on the market. "

" "To the consumer, it is almost a miracle drug," says Nimita Thekkepat, assistant professor of pharmacy at St. Louis College of Pharmacy. "It helps inflammation, fever, and it can save your life (from heart attack).""

" Aspirin works by blocking the production of prostaglandins, the on-off switch in cells that regulate pain and inflammation, among other things. That's why aspirin stops mild inflammation and pain. But that's the blessing and the curse."

" Prostaglandins are unique to each family of cells. Some versions are good; some versions promote pain; some versions constrict blood vessels and help platelets clot. "

" So while it blocks prostaglandins that cause pain or cause clotting and narrowing of the blood vessels and inflammation, it also blocks prostaglandins that protect the stomach lining. "

" That's where stomach bleeding comes from when you take aspirin or other drugs in the aspirin family. They're known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. Drugs in this family include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve) and ketoprofen (Orudis). Aspirin causes the most irritation."

" "Aspirin is the most toxic (painkiller) to the stomach," says Dr. Richard Brasington, head of the Division of Rheumatology at Washington University School of Medicine. "

" Still, the versatility of aspirin allows a range of dosages for physical problems. For example, a very low dose ? one pill of 81 milligrams compared with two pills of 325 milligrams for a full dose ? will protect your cardiovascular system by preventing blood clots and relaxing constricted blood vessels, but it rarely upsets the stomach."

" "Remember that the low-dose aspirin for (cardiovascular health) is a completely different
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