Critical Reasoning

Medical researchers have tempered their initial enthusiasm for daily aspirin consumption as an effective means of preventing second heart attacks in men. Further studies into the possibility of a connection between daily consumption of aspirin and the reduced incidence of attack have indicated that since aspirin’s effectiveness in preventing heart attacks is limited to certain types of attacks, only 50 to 60 percent of all men stand to reduce their risk of a second heart attack by consuming aspirin daily. Nevertheless, since moderate aspirin intake poses no health threat, researchers continue to recommend that all men who wish to reduce the risk of a second heart attack continue or begin consuming aspirin on a daily basis.

Which one of the following statements, if true, would lend the strongest support to the researchers’ recommendation?


Fewer than 50 to 60 percent of all men who have experienced a heart attack have failed to begin daily aspirin consumption in an effort to avoid a second attack.

Failing to consume aspirin daily is one of several ways in which a one-time heart attack sufferer can decrease his chances of experiencing a second attack.

There is no way to determine accurately which particular one-time heart attack sufferers who are at risk of suffering a second heart attack might benefit from the consumption of aspirin.

The amount of aspirin that a one-time heart attack sufferer should consume varies only slightly according to the age and weight of the heart attack sufferer.

Those men who wish to reduce the risk of their having a second heart attack are not among those men who would reduce that risk by consuming aspirin daily.