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Millions take aspirin to prevent heart disease and cancer. Turns out that’s risky

An aspirin a day has long been been touted as one of the pillars of a healthy routine for older people: Swallow the pill and see your risks of heart disease and cancer melt away.

But the findings of a large, randomized controlled trial has just been published in three papers in the New England Journal of Medicine. Together, they show a baby aspirin a day in people 65 years and older actually increased the risk of death — mainly from cancer — and that the pill does not drive down rates of heart disease, disability, or dementia.

The trial, led by John McNeil of Australia’s Monash University, involved more than 19,000 people, mostly age 70 and older, in Australia and the US.…

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Featured

 An aspirin a day may do more harm than good

In the U.S. alone, one in five people over the age of 40 take a daily aspirin. Recent studies show that for some of them, the risks outweigh the benefits.

 Aspirin No Longer Recommended as a Preventative Measure Against Heart Attacks and Strokes in Older Individuals

The guideline change is based on bleeding risks some may face when taking the blood thinner.

 Daily Low-Dose Aspirin for Heart Attack Prevention: What the Latest Guidelines Mean for You

Aspirin has long been a trusted tool for heart attack prevention because it thins the blood and reduces the risk of blood clots. When taken in smaller amounts — known as low-dose aspirin — it can help prevent clots from forming and blocking blood flow to the heart or brain, lowering the risk of heart attack or stroke. However, daily aspirin use comes with risks. That's why the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated its guidelines, especially for older adults. So, who should take low-dose aspirin, and what do these changes mean for you?

 Low-Dose Aspirin May be Widely Overused for CVD Prevention Based on PREVENT Estimates

The researchers emphasize that the findings also provide a clear directive for addressing existing aspirin overuse. The study showed that among the 7.6 million adults who reported taking aspirin for primary prevention, an alarming 96.9% (95% CI, 95.1%-98.1%) did not meet the 10% risk criteria when calculated by PREVENT. This high percentage of non-qualifying users, coupled with the new lower risk scores from PREVENT, reinforces that “there is considerable room to discontinue aspirin in patients who are unlikely to benefit,” the authors wrote.

 Probing Aspirin’s Benefits

You’ve probably taken aspirin for pain or a fever. But some people take a low dose of aspirin every day. It can reduce the risk of Related to the heart and the vessels that circulate blood through the body.cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. Now, scientists are learning that aspirin’s effects differ based on a person’s age and overall health.

Articles of Interest

Should you really take that daily aspirin?

Low-dose aspirin therapy used to be considered a simple way to help prevent a first-time heart attack or stroke in people with low risks for those events. That changed in 2019, when evidence about aspirin's limited benefits and increased bleeding risks in low-risk adults prompted new recommendations against such therapy. But many people haven't gotten the message,

Taking aspirin to prevent heart attack may cause more harm than good, task force says

Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven't had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in its draft guidance.

A Shocking Number Still Don't Know The Risk of Taking Aspirin Each Day

A new report shows that almost half of the adults in the US aren't aware of the latest health guidelines around aspirin, which claim the risks of a daily low-dose aspirin outweigh the benefits.

An Aspirin A Day May Not Keep The Doctor Away

The benefit of a daily aspirin for individuals that have already had a heart attack or stroke is well documented, reducing the chance of a second heart attack, stroke or death. But therapeutically, there is no free lunch.

Aspirin 'not best' for preventing heart problem

Doctors should use newer medications rather than aspirin to treat a common heart problem, say new guidelines for the NHS in England and Wales. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence says blood-thinning drugs like warfarin are better for those with atrial fibrillation, which can increase a person's risk of stroke.

Aspirin Flops Big Time In Heart Study. Is It R.I.P For ASA?

So, is it time to toss the pills? Some will, but there are a few factors that suggest that the final story may not have been told.

Aspirin for Reducing Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke: Know the Facts

The Drug Facts label also gives directions that will help you use the aspirin so that it is safe and effective. But what about using aspirin for a different use, time period, or in a manner that is not listed on the label? For example, using aspirin to lower the risk of heart attack and clot-related strokes. In these cases, the labeling information is not there to help you with how to choose and how to use the medicine safely. Since you don't have the labeling directions to help you, you need the medical knowledge of your doctor, nurse practitioner or other health professional.

Aspirin has long been prescribed to prevent heart attacks. Now experts say it shouldn’t

The side effects are not worth the potential benefits, especially for older adults.

Aspirin to Prevent a First Heart Attack or Stroke

Aspirin works to reduce events among patients who have a higher likelihood of having an event, and there remains an argument for aspirin in patients who are at exceptionally high risk but who have not yet had a heart attack or a stroke. This has led to some controversy in this issue, and varying interpretations...

Aspirin Use to Prevent 1st Heart Attack or Stroke Should Be Curtailed, U.S. Panel Says

Adults at high risk for cardiovascular disease may face serious side effects if they start a daily regimen of low-dose aspirin.

Daily Aspirin Is Most Beneficial in Your 50s, Panel Says

People in their 50s or 60s may benefit from taking aspirin daily, but those who start during their 50s get the most benefit from its use in preventing a heart attack, stroke and colon cancer, according to new recommendations from a government-appointed panel of independent experts.

Low-Dose Aspirin Late in Life? Healthy People May Not Need It

Taking it did not lower their risks of cardiovascular disease, dementia or disability. And it increased the risk of significant bleeding in the digestive tract, brain or other sites that required transfusions or admission to the hospital.

News For Healthy, Older Patients: Toss Your Baby Aspirin

Today, when people ask me about aspirin, my answer is different than it was last week. If you are healthy, there seems little to gain – and a fair amount to lose. Baby aspirin for healthy older adults is no longer a toss-up – for those people it is time to toss out the aspirin.

Who Should Take Aspirin Every Day?

A new study found that the risks apparently outweigh the benefits of taking a low-dose aspirin every day for otherwise healthy older people. But what about everyone else?

Why experts now say daily aspirin could do more harm than good

If you've never had a heart attack, you probably shouldn't be taking it.

Resources

AskAboutAspirin

Are you a candidate for daily aspirin?

Bayer

Low dose aspirin made especially for adults whose doctors recommend a low dose aspirin regimen.

MedlinePlus

Nonprescription aspirin is also used to prevent heart attacks in people who have had a heart attack in the past or who have angina (chest pain that occurs when the heart does not get enough oxygen). Nonprescription aspirin is also used to reduce the risk of death in people who are experiencing or who have recently experienced a heart attack. Nonprescription aspirin is also used to prevent ischemic strokes (strokes that occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain) or mini-strokes (strokes that occur when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked for a short time) in people who have had this type of stroke or mini-stroke in the past. Aspirin will not prevent hemorrhagic strokes (strokes caused by bleeding in the brain).

Patient

Some doctors recommend that all people aged 45-50 should consider taking a daily low dose of aspirin until the age of about 75. But, discuss the pros and cons and your own circumstances with your GP before taking regular aspirin or clopidogrel.

UpToDate

Aspirin is effective for preventing ischemic stroke. Most studies have found that 50 to 325 mg/day of aspirin is as effective as higher doses for preventing stroke. Furthermore, lower doses within this range appear to provide the same benefit as higher doses.

UpToDate

Aspirin is effective for preventing ischemic stroke. Most studies have found that 50 to 325 mg/day of aspirin is as effective as higher doses for preventing stroke. Furthermore, lower doses within this range appear to provide the same benefit as higher doses.