Do You Actually Need That Daily Aspirin You're Taking?
PixelsEffect
Fact checked by Nick Blackmer
Key Takeaways
A University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found that one in four adults between 50 and 80 take aspirin three or more days a week.
The USPSTF does not recommend that adults aged 60 and older take a daily aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Research shows that regular aspirin use may cause internal bleeding, which can lead to low red blood cell counts.
Many people turn to over-the-counter (OTC) aspirin for occasional relief from mild to moderate pain, including headaches, toothaches, and menstrual cramps. However, some people take aspirin more often than others—and not only may they not need to, but doing so may do more harm than good.
According to a University of Michigan poll on healthy aging, many older adults between the ages of 50 and 80 years take aspirin more than three times per week. While some adults might be told by their providers to do a low-dose daily aspirin regimen to help reduce their cardiovascular disease risk, that’s not a blanket recommendation for everyone. In fact, research shows that taking daily aspirin can come with some serious risks.
Related: Enteric-Coated Aspirin vs. Plain Aspirin: What's the Difference?
Why Do So Many Older Adults Take Daily Aspirin If They Don’t Need It?
The latest poll about aspirin use and beliefs about the drug surveyed 2,657 older adults in the United States. The results showed that:
77% of older adults believed that aspirin helps with general health
46% said it relieves pain
36% said it reduces their risk for colon cancer
31% believed it reduces the risk of dementia
Another reason why older adults might take aspirin is to prevent a heart attack or stroke, Geoffrey Barnes, MD, MSc, associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, told Verywell.
The results showed that 43% of the participants had experienced at least one condition related to cardiovascular disease.
Some people in the study “had a prior heart attack, stroke, or stent placed in their arteries,” said Barnes. “For those adults, aspirin is being used to prevent a second event—what we call secondary prevention.”
Secondary prevention is focused on the early detection or treatment of a disease. Primary prevention is measures taken to prevent a disease from occurring for the first time.
However, even if a provider thinks aspirin could be useful for prevention, they still have to educate patients about the drug’s risks and decide if they’re worth the potential benefits.
Related: Daily Aspirin Is Sometimes Recommended to Prevent a Stroke
Who Actually Needs to Take Aspirin?
Currently, the U.S Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that adults between 40 and 59 years with a 10-year cardiovascular disease risk only take a low dosage of aspirin as primary prevention, and only if their provider tells them to. It’s not recommended that adults 60 years or older take low-dose aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, according to the USPSTF’s guidelines.
Why Is Taking Daily Aspirin Risky?
While a lowered risk of blood clots and strokes can be an upside of taking aspirin, the drug also carries serious risks—especially if you’re taking it frequently. Experts say that daily aspirin use can lead to bruising and internal bleeding in the brain, stomach, and intestines.
“While most of these bruises and bleeding events are not life-threatening, sometimes they can lead to serious or life-threatening bleeding events,” said Barnes. For example, one study found that healthy older adults were more likely to experience bleeding inside the skull compared to people who didn’t take aspirin.
Daily aspirin use is also known to cause anemia, a blood disorder that happens when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Aspirin prevents platelets from sticking together, which interferes with blood clotting. While that effect is helpful for the prevention of blood clots, it can also cause excessive bleeding for some people, which can lead to anemia.
Related: Study: Benefits of Daily Aspirin May Not Outweigh the Risks
How to Intervene If a Loved One Is Taking Aspirin Inappropriately
“Even though aspirin has been around for many decades and is available over the counter, that does not mean it is free of all risk,” said Barnes. “It’s important to talk with your doctor about your use of any medication—prescription or over the counter—to make sure it’s safe and effective for you.”
If you have an older loved one who takes aspirin regularly but you’re not sure that they need to, have a constructive conversation with them about why they feel the need to take it.
“The most important question to ask a loved one who takes aspirin every day is if they’ve discussed their aspirin use with their doctor recently,” said Barnes.
Related: USPSTF: Risks of Daily Aspirin for Older Adults Outweigh Benefits
Since aspirin doesn’t require a provider’s prescription and can easily be purchased over the counter at just about any store, it’s important to find out whether a loved one is just taking it on their own or under the care of a provider. If they haven’t talked with their provider about it, ask them to bring it up at their next appointment.
“I think it is also reasonable to encourage loved ones to include aspirin on their medication lists at their doctor’s office, if it is something they take regularly,” Jordan Schaefer, MD, MSc, associate professor of hematology and oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School, told Verywell.
Anyone who takes aspirin should mention it when they’re at their provider’s office to make sure that it gets listed in their medical record. That info helps providers make decisions about care, including treatments that could interact with an OTC drug like aspirin.
What This Means For You
Aspirin can be beneficial but also comes with serious risks. If you’re not sure if you should be taking aspirin every day, ask your provider. You should always tell your provider about any medications you take, even OTC ones like aspirin.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
