"A government panel of experts released updated guidelines today spelling out who should be taking a daily lowdose aspirin for heart health https which also offers the added benefit of protection against colorectal cancer https Those who would benefit from the regimen according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force must meet a strict list of criteria  including a high risk of heart disease https and a low risk of bleeding side effects. Specifically the group recommends that adults  to  years old who have a  percent or greater year cardiovascular disease risk are not at an increased risk for bleeding and have a life expectancy of at least  years take a daily lowdose aspirin to prevent heart attack https stroke and colorectal cancer. As with any drug patients and their doctors must balance the benefits and risks of taking aspirin Dr. Kirsten BibbinsDomingo chair of the task force and professor of medicine epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco told CBS News. The benefits of aspirin outweigh the harms for most people in their s who are at risk of cardiovascular disease but not at increased risk of bleeding. For people in this group taking lowdose aspirin daily can help reduce the risk of heart attack stroke https and colorectal cancer. Adults in their s can also benefit from regular use of lowdose aspirin but the bleeding risk is higher in this age group so doctors should help these patients decide whether or not aspirin therapy https is right for them on a casebycase basis. The task force recommends that all patients talk to their doctor to evaluate their risk for cardiovascular disease and bleeding before making a decision about aspirin use but this is particularly important for people in their s BibbinsDomingo said. Heart disease and colorectal cancer are among the most common causes of death in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about  Americans die of heart disease each year accounting for  in  deaths. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women excluding skin cancers and a leading cause of cancer death the American Cancer Society reports. While taking lowdose aspirin daily can help prevent heart troubles doctors note that it also increases the risk of bleeding in the stomach and intestines and strokes caused by bleeding in the brain. The task force looked at the most uptodate research on both the benefits and harms of taking aspirin for the primary prevention of both heart disease and colorectal cancer to arrive at their recommendations. When it comes to dosing experts say sticking to a lowdose baby aspirin is best. The evidence shows that theres really no incremental benefit of going over  milligrams and in fact you may increase bleeding risk by going over CBS News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City told CBS This Morning when the draft guidelines were released https last September. At this time the task force reports that more research is needed to assess whether taking aspirin is beneficial for people who are younger than  or those who are  and older."