Common daily medication increases risk of serious internal bleeding, warns doctors



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Anyone who is used to taking a daily aspirin should be aware of the risks involved, researchers say a new study: Although it reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke, it increases the risk severe internal bleeding.

In this particular study we are talking about adults without According to scientists, potential hazards outweigh the potential benefits – so think twice before blowing an aspirin a day in the future.

This new research is a meta-study of previous clinical trials that examines trends and trends in more than 164,000 people. It challenges the traditional view that daily aspirin is a safe way to reduce the risk of heart disease, especially for the elderly.

"This study demonstrates that there is not enough evidence to recommend systematic use of aspirin in the prevention of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths in individuals." without cardiovascular disease, "said one of the researchers, Sean Zheng of King's College London, UK.

"There was more uncertainty about what should be done in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease and in diabetic patients.This study shows that, even though cardiovascular events can be reduced in these patients, these benefits are badociated with an increased risk of major bleeding ".

Even before this study happened, experts said that people should take only regular low doses of aspirin on the advice of a doctor – there are many health factors to take in account with the anticoagulant drug, although we know that it can be a very effective drug. .

Now the picture is a little clearer. Among the thousands of people included in the meta-study, people taking aspirin on a daily basis had a lower absolute risk of heart attack, stroke or death from a stroke of 0.38%.

At the same time, a daily habit of aspirin was badociated with an absolute risk of severe internal bleeding of 0.47%. This highlights how important it is not to start doing this before talking to your doctor.

Kevin McConway from the Open University in the UK, who did not participate in the research, explained how this would translate into real numbers by Rich Haridy of New Atlas.

With a daily aspirin, one would expect that 57 rather than 61 out of every 100 people suffer from a heart attack or a stroke; at the same time, 23 people instead of 16 out of 10 would have serious bleeding, on average.

"This seriously raises the question of whether people who have never had a heart attack or stroke should take aspirin in order to reduce future cardiovascular events," said Zheng to Lisa Rapaport from Reuters.

The median average age of all study participants was 62 (ranging from 53 to 74 years). About half of them were followed for at least five years.

One of the limitations of the research is that his multiple studies have focused on different daily doses of aspirin – from 50 mg to 500 mg. Doctors do not normally prescribe anything over 100 mg a day in any case.

Even in this case, it is worthwhile for patients and physicians to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using aspirin prophylactically and may be considering other alternatives (such as blood pressure control). or stopping smoking).

In an editorial accompanying the study, Michael Gaziano of Brigham and Women's Boston Hospital, who did not participate in the main research, says that aspirin remains "an important drug" for the prevention of cardiovascular health problems – as long as we use it wisely.

"The use of aspirin requires a discussion between the patient and his doctor, knowing that potential potential cardiovascular benefits are weighed against the real risk of serious bleeding," Zheng said.

The research was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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