We all know that aspirin is good for your heart, but research suggests that taking two or more standard-dose (325 mg) pills a week is associated with a 49 percent lower risk of liver cancer.

“Regular use of aspirin led to significantly lower risk of developing [liver cancer], compared to infrequent or no aspirin use. We also found that the risk declined progressively with increasing aspirin dose and duration of use,” said author Dr. Tracey Simon, a research fellow in gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

It should be noted, however, that the study did not prove that aspirin reduced liver cancer risk, just that there was an association. For the study, researchers analyzed long-term data from more than 45,800 women and 87,500 men in the United States.

The investigators reported that aspirin’s protective effect increased over time. Risk of liver cancer was 59 percent lower among those who took aspirin regularly for five years or more.

The risk reduction declined after people stopped taking aspirin, however. And it disappeared altogether eight years after aspirin was discontinued, the findings showed.

Regular use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) was not linked to reduced risk of liver cancer, according to the study. The results were published in JAMA Oncology.