May 07, 2014 05:06 PM EDT By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said taking an aspirin daily can help prevent a heart attack or stroke in some people, but not in everyone, HealthDay reported.

After a review of scientific data, the federal agency determined that a daily dose of aspiring can only prevent heart attack and stroke in people who have suffered such health crises in the past, but not in people who have never had heart problems.

"Since the 1990s, clinical data have shown that in people who have experienced a heart attack, stroke or who have a disease of the blood vessels in the heart, a daily low dose of aspirin can help prevent a reoccurrence," Dr. Robert Temple, deputy director for clinical science at the FDA, said in an agency news release.

FDA officials said people should only use daily aspirin therapy only after first talking to their health care professional, who can weigh the benefits and risks. They say people should only take low-dose - 80 mgs - aspirin. A regular strength tablet is 325 mg.

"We encourage patients to talk to their healthcare provider about the best treatment for their individual situation," FDA officials said in a statement. "The kinds of evidence FDA uses to make regulatory decisions, which have broad public health implications, may be different from those used by a physician treating a specific patient."

FDA officials said an analysis of data from major studies does not support claims that daily aspirin use could prevent health crises in people who have never had heart problems, CBS News reported. They also said there is not evidence that "taking aspirin every day is safe and effective for people who have not had heart problems or a stroke but have a family history of heart attack or stroke."

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