Daily Aspirin Regimen To Prevent Heart Attacks May Do More Harm Than Good, Panel Says

Daily Aspirin Regimen To Prevent Heart Attacks , May Do More Harm Than Good, Panel Says.

For years, taking a low dose of aspirin daily has been recommended to prevent heart attack and stroke.

But on Oct.

12, an independent panel of experts issued a new guidance.

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force released an updated draft recommendation stating that while a low-dose aspirin regimen can reduce the risk of cardiac events and stroke, .

It also “increases [the risk of] major GI bleeding, extracranial bleeding and intracranial bleeding.”.

The panel suggests that adults in their 40s and 50s only take aspirin as a preventative measure if they are at a higher risk for heart disease.

The panel suggests that adults in their 40s and 50s only take aspirin as a preventative measure if they are at a higher risk for heart disease.

Otherwise, the benefit is small versus the risk of developing bleeding problems. Those who are 60 and older are now advised to not take aspirin to prevent first heart attacks or strokes.

But if they've already had heart attacks or strokes, it is still recommended for those ages 60 and up to take aspirin preventively.

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According to a study from Harvard and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 29 million adults in the U.S. take aspirin daily despite having no history of heart disease.

Talk to your doctor if you're unsure about starting or continuing a daily aspirin regimen.