Simple aspirin may prevent liver damage in millions of people suffering from side effects of common drugs, alcoholism or obesity, according to researchers from Yale University.

For the work, scientists gave mice an overdose of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and other products which can damage the liver in large doses.

Mice that took aspirin were less likely to die according to a news release. The information did not include data on death rates in either group.

Dr. Wajahat Mehal said that aspirin seems to block a chemical pathway that causes inflammation in the liver.

And if a daily aspirin cannot stop damage, other medicines may be used to treat it.

"This offers the exciting possibility of reducing a lot of pain and suffering in patients with liver diseases, using a new and very practical approach," Mehal said.

The study appears in the Jan. 26 edition of Journal of Clinical Investigation.