Updated American Heart Association guidelines for prevention of cardiovascular disease in women say routine low-dose aspirin should be considered for women of all ages to prevent strokes.

The guidelines, last revised in 2004, were released online by Circulation . For women under age 65 who are healthy or at moderate risk, they suggest aspirin (81 mg daily or 100 mg every other day), as long as the benefit of preventing an ischemic stroke appears to outweigh the risk for gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke. They offer the same advice for women over 65 to prevent both MI and stroke if their blood pressure is controlled.

Other changes include the following:

-- Physicians should consider other factors besides the Framingham global risk score -- such as medical, lifestyle, and family histories -- when making decisions about women's preventive therapy.

-- The guidelines no longer recommend hormone replacement therapy, antioxidant supplements, or folic acid to prevent cardiovascular disease.

-- Women who need to lose or keep off weight should get a minimum of 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days

Source: American Heart Association