ST. LOUIS (KTRS) For years, medical researchers have said aspirin helps prevent heart attacks and heart disease. Two new studies, however, cast doubt on that long-held belief.

Professor Andrew Kates with Washington University’s School of Medicine, who is a cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, was at the presentation of the studies in Germany. He says one study found aspirin did not help prevent first strokes or heart attacks in people at moderate risk from such threats such as smoking and high blood pressure.

Dr. Kates says a second study that examined more than 15,000 people who suffered from diabetes had a similar result. He says that’s because the benefit from taking even low-dose aspirin is almost outweighed by the risk of excessive bleeding caused by the aspirin. The sponsor of this study was Bayer, a major manufacturer of aspirin.