Millions of adults risk their health with low daily dose aspirin

According to a new study, millions of adults take daily low-dose aspirin every day without the recommendation of their doctor, thus putting their health at risk. Although some health officials have previously recommended low-dose daily aspirin for the prevention of heart disease, recommendations published earlier this year recommend not taking the drug in some cases, citing three major clinical trials conducted in 2018 which revealed "constant bleeding risks" related to daily use.

Aspirin is an inexpensive and readily available anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet drug that has a lightening effect on the blood. Doctors may recommend that a person at risk of stroke or heart attack take a low dose of aspirin every day as a preventative measure. In the past, many adults thought that low-dose daily aspirin was a common and safe method of preventing cardiovascular disease.

However, the anticoagulant effect of aspirin may expose people taking this drug every day to the risk of developing potentially serious bleeding. In 2018, the results of three major clinical trials cast doubt on the safety and effectiveness of daily use of low-dose aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

According to the results of clinical studies, taking aspirin daily may have little benefit, resulting in a corresponding increase in the risk of bleeding. New recommendations published early 2019 by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommending not to use aspirin daily in adults over 70 years of age having no risk of heart disease or stroke, as well as in adults at risk of bleeding problems.

Despite this, millions of people take low-dose aspirin daily without any recommendation from their doctors – and, in many cases, their doctors may not be aware of it, according to a new study by Beth Israel Medical Center. Deaconess.

The team found that nearly 29 million adults aged 40 and over who did not have cardiovascular disease took aspirin daily as a preventative measure. Of these, more than 6 million adults were taking aspirin without their doctor's recommendation.

In addition, almost half of the adults in the 70+ age group at risk who had no history of stroke or heart disease were taking the drug. Adults taking low-dose aspirin daily are advised to inform their physician of this habit to determine if there is a risk of bleeding.