Aspirin for heart disease prevention? Americans aren't buying it.

By now, most of us have heard that a low daily dose of aspirin can help prevent heart disease. But a new study shows that many people who could benefit from this are not taking advantage of it.

The reasons why aren't clear. While many high-risk patients aren't getting an aspirin recommendation from their doctors, even when doctors do recommend it patients aren't always listening. Some people have a hard time believing low dose aspirin is really effective, and others worry that side effects of taking aspirin daily will outweigh the benefits.

It's no surprise that doctors are frustrated by this news. Americans seem stuck on the idea of aspirin being a pain relief drug rather than a heart health drug, despite the research.