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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday July 23 2019, @09:37AM   Printer-friendly
from the no-chewing-on-birch-bark,-either dept.

Widespread Aspirin use Despite Few Benefits, High Risks:

Aspirin use is widespread among groups at risk for harm including older adults and adults with peptic ulcers -- painful sores in the lining of the stomach that are prone to bleeding that affect about one in ten people. In a research report published today in Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) report on the extent to which Americans 40 years old and above use aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

"Although prior American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines recommended aspirin only in persons without elevated bleeding risk, the 2019 guidelines now explicitly recommend against aspirin use among those over the age of 70 who do not have existing heart disease or stroke," said senior author Christina C. Wee, MD, MPH, a general internist and researcher at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Our findings suggest that a substantial portion of adults may be taking aspirin without their physician's advice and potentially without their knowledge."

[...] Concerningly, nearly half of adults 70 years and older without a history of heart disease or stroke reported taking aspirin daily. The authors noted that a history of peptic ulcer disease -- another contraindication for the routine use of aspirin -- was not significantly associated with lower aspirin use as one would have expected.

"Our findings show a tremendous need for health care practitioners to ask their patients about ongoing aspirin use and to advise them about the importance of balancing the benefits and harms, especially among older adults and those with prior peptic ulcer disease," said lead author Colin O'Brien, MD, a senior internal medicine resident at BIDMC and fellow at Harvard Medical School.

Journal Reference:
Colin W. O'Brien, Stephen P. Juraschek, Christina C. Wee. Prevalence of Aspirin Use for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States: Results From the 2017 National Health Interview Survey. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2019; DOI: 10.7326/M19-0953

So take one of these and call the doctor in the morning... but only if instructed to do so and there are no other contraindications.


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  • (Score: 2) by Revek on Tuesday July 23 2019, @12:58PM (2 children)

    by Revek (5022) on Tuesday July 23 2019, @12:58PM (#870301)

    I have already had a heart attack and my doctor told me to continue to take one low dose aspirin a day.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 23 2019, @05:13PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 23 2019, @05:13PM (#870395)

    what side affects if any have you noticed? My mother (now 90) had heart valve repair 7 years ago. Ever since (first on warfarin, then aspirin), she bruises and bleeds excessively. Finally, after an internal bleed last year (tests as to stomach or intestine were inconclusive) her cardiologist took her off the aspirin.

    No idea really if the anti-clotting meds were a help for the intervening years, but she hasn't had any more heart problems. The cardiologist explained that, as the heart weakens and doesn't pump completely, there may be some blood that "sits around in a corner" of the heart or in nearby blood vessels, not fully moved by the weak pumping action. This is where clots start to form. Stationary blood isn't a good thing...except at a wound site.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 23 2019, @11:44PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 23 2019, @11:44PM (#870530)

    Same here. Just for the sake of the discussion, my doctor also told me to never take ibuprofen, but paracetamol if I need a stronger med for whatever reason.