Read This Before You Start Using Aspirin to Prevent Stroke
You will find a bottle of these pills in
virtually every household in the country. We’re talking about aspirin - a
medication used by millions every day. While taking the occasional
aspirin to stop a headache is safe for most people, the practice of
taking a small daily dose of aspirin, or so-called baby aspirin, is
under fire, again.
A government-backed panel of US health officials called the US
Preventive Services Task Force will change guidelines about using baby
aspirin to ward off cardiovascular issues, and posted the new guidelines
for public comments earlier this week. Everyone who’s older than 40
should know about these new recommendations.
Did you know that nearly half of Americans
past age 70 take a daily small dose of aspirin to prevent stroke and
heart disease? Some people were recommended to start taking aspirin by
their doctor, and others added it to their daily regimen on their own
accord.
Whatever the case may be, baby aspirin has become a widespread and
almost routine preventative practice. And we get it. The appeal of
averting the leading cause of death with one pill available over the
counter is difficult to resist. After all, the heart disease crisis
accounts for 1 out of 4 deaths in the US every year according to the
CDC.
The only problem is that taking aspirin is not as effective as you may
think. In fact, in many cases, it’s dangerous.
According to US Preventive Services Task
Force’s guidelines, adults over 60 should NOT start taking aspirin to
prevent heart disease and stroke. The health risks associated with daily
aspirin use are too substantial to keep recommending it to patients.
“The most serious potential harm is bleeding in the stomach, intestines,
and brain. The chance of bleeding increases with age and can be
life-threatening,” according to the task force. This is consistent with
previous findings that clearly show how the risk of internal hemorrhage
and even death increase in patients who take baby aspirin.
We review the findings of three large studies on this topic here, and
the task force lists information and references that support this claim
on their website.
The changing guidelines also review adults
in the age group between 40 to 59 who also have a higher risk of
cardiovascular disease. They point out that there may be a small benefit
of aspirin use for people in this age range, but only for people who
are not at increased risk for bleeding.
In addition, it’s important to note that these guidelines do not apply
to those who already had a heart attack or stroke, as well as those who
are already taking low-dose aspirin. If you’re currently taking aspirin
but you’re concerned about the increased risk of internal bleeding, seek
your doctor’s help.
In summary, those who are 60 or older and thinking about starting
aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention should hold off on their
decision and consult a doctor before they do so. This is due to an
increased risk of internal hemorrhages associated with the daily use of
aspirin.