A daily low-dose aspirin could not only help certain people in their 50s and 60s prevent a first heart attack or stroke, it might also provide some protection against colon cancer.

The U-S Preventive Services Task Force has issued draft guidelines recommending aspirin only if people meet a strict list of criteria, including a high risk of heart disease and a low risk of bleeding side effects.

The guidelines say the recommendation is strongest for people in their fifties, but that doctors should decide aspirin therapy on a case-by-case basis for people in their 60s, who can expect a smaller benefit.

Aspirin therapy has long been recommended for heart attack survivors, but the question of who should try it for protection of a first heart attack or stroke is less clear.

(The Associated Press)