Is Daily Aspirin Intake Beneficial or Even Safe?
For decades, it has been recommended to
take a daily dose of aspirin as a means to prevent stroke or heart
attack, and many of us do exactly that, considering it part of our daily
preventative health routine. Unfortunately, this turned out not to be
true. On the contrary, daily aspirin use has been found time and time
again to harm human health in the long term, systematically increasing
one’s risks of internal bleeding. According to these recent changes in
international aspirin regulations, the majority of people, with some
rare exceptions, shouldn’t take aspirin daily.
Who Should Stop Using Aspirin?
According to data from the National Health Survey in 2017, 7 million
Americans are taking aspirin on the daily without consulting their
physician. If we look at seniors, this trend intensifies even further,
with nearly half of Americans past the age of 70 taking a daily small
dose of aspirin. And this is only in the United States alone, with
similar trends being also reported in other countries, such as
Australia.
Clearly, the public is confused, as, for decades, they have been advised
that micro-dosing aspirin can protect them from stroke and heart
attack. In fact, in the past, everyone past their 50's, even healthy
individuals with no risks of developing heart disease were suggested to
take a small dose of aspirin to protect themselves from cardiovascular
events and disability.
Recent large-scale research shows a very different picture… In fact, an
increasing number of health organizations changed their tactics of
recommending aspirin from a cap approach to a more selective treatment
for a small group of patients. But why is that?
The main reason for such a seemingly-rapid
shift in perspective is due to several large-scale studies establishing
that aspirin may actually not be effective or can even be harmful to the
vast majority of people, with a few exceptions. According to one
double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, placebo and aspirin
were found to be indistinguishable in their ability to protect patients
from disability over the course of 5 years.
Other studies further worsened the picture: not only was the aspirin
incapable of protecting a person from disability, but it also increases
one’s risk of mortality and internal bleeding.
The study reporting the internal bleeding risks looked at nearly 20,000
people over the course of nearly 5 years and found that daily aspirin
intake significantly increased the risk of internal hemorrhage while not
being able to protect the individuals from cardiovascular events
compared to placebo. So, taking a sugar pill was just as effective at
preventing stroke or a heart attack as was a small dose of aspirin, but
unlike the placebo, aspirin also raised one's risk of internal bleeding.
The second study that had the same number of participants, nearly 20,000
individuals, past the age of 70 also found that otherwise healthy
persons who took aspirin daily were more likely to die over the course
of 5 years than those who took a placebo. All of these studies raised
the alarm with regards to daily aspirin use, but one final study from
the University of Auckland, New Zealand, helped us understand more
specifically who can and who cannot benefit from regular aspirin use.
The study aimed to isolate the group of
people who would benefit from daily aspirin use. The team of researchers
looked at 250.000 participants in the age range of 30-79 over the
course of 5 years and found that the people who were more likely to
benefit from regular aspirin intake were older and were at a higher risk
of cardiovascular disease and had overall higher blood pressure and
cholesterol levels.
Another group of individuals who typically benefit from daily aspirin
use are those who have already had a stroke or a heart event in the
past. All these findings urged major healthcare organizations, such as
the American Heart Association, to reconsider their criteria and
regulation of aspirin, and today, it’s highly recommended to consult a
doctor before you decide to use aspirin as a preventative medication.
Healthy individuals especially should be careful about taking aspirin
without a doctor's approval, as it can significantly increase one’s risk
of internal bleeding and may have other harmful effects as well.
The second study that had the same number of participants, nearly 20,000
individuals, past the age of 70 also found that otherwise healthy
persons who took aspirin daily were more likely to die over the course
of 5 years than those who took a placebo. All of these studies raised
the alarm with regards to daily aspirin use, but one final study from
the University of Auckland, New Zealand, helped us understand more
specifically who can and who cannot benefit from regular aspirin use.
Healthy individuals especially should be careful about taking aspirin
without a doctor's approval, as it can significantly increase one’s risk
of internal bleeding and may have other harmful effects as well.
For decades, it has been recommended to
take a daily dose of aspirin as a means to prevent stroke or heart
attack, and many of us do exactly that, considering it part of our daily
preventative health routine. Unfortunately, this turned out not to be
true. On the contrary, daily aspirin use has been found time and time
again to harm human health in the long term, systematically increasing
one’s risks of internal bleeding. According to these recent changes in
international aspirin regulations, the majority of people, with some
rare exceptions, shouldn’t take aspirin daily.
Who Should Stop Using Aspirin?
According to data from the National Health Survey in 2017, 7 million
Americans are taking aspirin on the daily without consulting their
physician. If we look at seniors, this trend intensifies even further,
with nearly half of Americans past the age of 70 taking a daily small
dose of aspirin. And this is only in the United States alone, with
similar trends being also reported in other countries, such as
Australia.
Clearly, the public is confused, as, for decades, they have been advised
that micro-dosing aspirin can protect them from stroke and heart
attack. In fact, in the past, everyone past their 50's, even healthy
individuals with no risks of developing heart disease were suggested to
take a small dose of aspirin to protect themselves from cardiovascular
events and disability.
Recent large-scale research shows a very different picture… In fact, an
increasing number of health organizations changed their tactics of
recommending aspirin from a cap approach to a more selective treatment
for a small group of patients. But why is that?
The main reason for such a seemingly-rapid
shift in perspective is due to several large-scale studies establishing
that aspirin may actually not be effective or can even be harmful to the
vast majority of people, with a few exceptions. According to one
double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, placebo and aspirin
were found to be indistinguishable in their ability to protect patients
from disability over the course of 5 years.
Other studies further worsened the picture: not only was the aspirin
incapable of protecting a person from disability, but it also increases
one’s risk of mortality and internal bleeding.
The study reporting the internal bleeding risks looked at nearly 20,000
people over the course of nearly 5 years and found that daily aspirin
intake significantly increased the risk of internal hemorrhage while not
being able to protect the individuals from cardiovascular events
compared to placebo. So, taking a sugar pill was just as effective at
preventing stroke or a heart attack as was a small dose of aspirin, but
unlike the placebo, aspirin also raised one's risk of internal bleeding.
The study aimed to isolate the group of
people who would benefit from daily aspirin use. The team of researchers
looked at 250.000 participants in the age range of 30-79 over the
course of 5 years and found that the people who were more likely to
benefit from regular aspirin intake were older and were at a higher risk
of cardiovascular disease and had overall higher blood pressure and
cholesterol levels.
Another group of individuals who typically benefit from daily aspirin
use are those who have already had a stroke or a heart event in the
past. All these findings urged major healthcare organizations, such as
the American Heart Association, to reconsider their criteria and
regulation of aspirin, and today, it’s highly recommended to consult a
doctor before you decide to use aspirin as a preventative medication.