Aspirin Leads to Unfortunate Health Impact

This article originally appeared on The Epoch Times and was republished with permission.

Guest post by Amie Dahnke

Millions of seniors pop aspirin every day, hoping to stave off heart attacks, but mounting evidence suggests that many are needlessly putting themselves at risk of potentially life-threatening bleeding.

A new poll reveals that more than half of older Americans taking aspirin have no history of cardiovascular disease and are taking the over-the-counter drug based on antiquated advice that the benefits outweigh the dangers for most older adults.

Rethinking Aspirin Use and Recommendations

The University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found that 57 percent of people ages 50 to 80 who take aspirin have no history of cardiovascular disease, which includes several heart and blood vessel problems. Only 11 percent of those taking aspirin as a preventive measure had such a history.

For decades, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of medical experts, recommended low-dose aspirin for people at considerable risk of heart attack. Over time, research has demonstrated that aspirin benefited high-risk patients who were older and had diabetes or additional cardiovascular conditions.

Moreover, across multiple studies, the findings showed that aspirin provided minimal clinical benefit for most people, as the modest potential advantages were outweighed by an increased risk of bleeding complications.

Recommendations on aspirin use have recently changed. In 2022, the USPSTF advised against routine aspirin use for heart attack prevention in adults ages 60 and older. Furthermore, the independent group stated that even for those ages 40 to 59, the “net benefit of aspirin use in this group is small.”

Randomized Trials Sound Alarm on Aspirin’s Bleeding Hazards

The USPSTF’s revised recommendations stem from new data highlighting the bleeding risks associated with aspirin use in clinical trials and studies.

An analysis of a randomized clinical trial involving more than 19,000 older adults revealed a statistically significant 38 percent higher risk of intracranial bleeding, including hemorrhagic stroke and other causes of intracerebral hemorrhage, among participants randomized to take aspirin.

Notably, in a separate analysis of 10 studies, aspirin use was linked to a 58 percent increased risk of major gastrointestinal bleeding.

Read the full story in The Epoch Times.