Do cardiologists recommend aspirin?
If you've had a heart attack or stroke or you have known heart disease, your health care provider may recommend taking an aspirin a day to prevent heart attacks or strokes unless you have a serious allergy or history of bleeding.
However, aspirin did increase the risk for major bleeding. Furthermore, in the ASPREE trial, there were more deaths attributed to aspirin use. Michos finds the new results “alarming” and says that most adults without known heart disease should not take aspirin routinely for heart attack and stroke prevention.
A panel of disease-prevention experts says older adults who don't have heart disease should not take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, a shift from earlier guidance.
The 2022 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation notes that the decision to initiate daily aspirin therapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) should be made on a case-by-case basis for adults ages 40 to 59 with a 10% or greater 10-year CVD risk.
"What we found is that compared to older studies, aspirin appears to have less benefit from cardiovascular disease," Dr. John Wong, a physician at Tufts Medical Center and a member of the task force, told NPR in November. "And there's an increasing risk of bleeding as people age," he says.
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for more than one in four deaths. While daily aspirin use has been shown to lower the chance of having a first heart attack or stroke, it can also increase the risk for bleeding in the brain, stomach and intestines.
Daily low-dose aspirin therapy may be recommended for the primary prevention of heart attack or stroke if: You're between ages 40 and 59 and you're at high risk of having a first-time heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years. High risk means your risk is 10% or greater.
US guidelines
ACC/AHA guidelines on the primary prevention of CVD features (4.6 aspirin use), which recommend considering low dose aspirin therapy (75 to 100 mg orally daily) only among adults 40 to 70 years of age who are at higher ASCVD risk but not at high risk of bleeding.
Some medical conditions, such as pregnancy, uncontrolled high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, asthma, peptic (stomach) ulcers, liver and kidney disease, could make aspirin a bad choice for you.
Aspirin therapy can have a significant impact on lowering your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. This is especially true in people with multiple risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Always talk to your provider before taking aspirin for heart disease.
Why is aspirin no longer recommended for AFib?
This is due to the growing body of evidence that warfarin and the newer anticoagulants are much more effective at preventing stroke than aspirin. However, not all people with AF need to take an anticoagulant and each person should have their risk of both stroke and bleeding assessed.
While aspirin may not be an effective approach to reducing stroke risk in AFib patients, it may still be prescribed as a treatment for other heart conditions. If you are currently taking aspirin prescribed by a physician, do not stop taking your medication without speaking with your doctor.
For patients already taking aspirin or choosing to start taking aspirin, the USPSTF recommends stopping aspirin at approximately 75 years of age.
“The latest evidence is clear: Starting a daily aspirin regimen in people who are 60 or older to prevent a first heart attack or stroke is not recommended,” task force member Chien-Wen Tseng, M.D., said in a statement.
The USPSTF now recommends against its use for prevention of a first heart attack or stroke in people aged 60 years or older with no clinical evidence or history of vascular disease.
Adults ages 60 and older who have not had a prior heart attack, stroke, stents or heart or artery surgery, or significant atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries) should not start taking daily baby aspirin.
Aspirin helps get more blood flowing to your legs. It can treat a heart attack and prevent blood clots when you have an abnormal heartbeat. You probably will take aspirin after you have treatment for clogged arteries. You will most likely take aspirin as a pill.
If aspirin is part of your daily medication routine, taking it before bedtime might improve your blood pressure even as it does its main job — working against heart attack and stroke.
Low-dose aspirin can have serious side effects.
Aspirin thins the blood (that's how it prevents blood clots), so it's no surprise that taking a daily aspirin increases the risk of internal bleeding.
Make sure you understand how much aspirin to take and how often to take it. Most people who take aspirin to prevent disease take 81 mg every day –– though your doctor may recommend you take a higher dose every other day. Talk with your doctor before you start taking a new medicine or vitamin.
Why does aspirin help me sleep?
The positive aspects are reducing hunger, possibly adding a small amount of a sleep inducing amino acid, helping with some joint or muscle pain and slightly dropping body temperature which is conducive to sleep.
Aspirin: Aspirin may help reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. But do not take aspirin if you think you are having a stroke.
Current guidelines recommend that people with coronary artery disease (CAD) receive antiplatelet therapy with either aspirin or clopidogrel. Aspirin therapy is very helpful for people with CAD or a history of stroke.
3) Aspirin use is reasonable in diabetic patients whose 10-year risk of events is >10% (men age >50 years and women age >60 years with at least 1 additional risk factor: smoking, hypertension, albuminuria, dyslipidemia, or family history of premature cardiovascular events) and who are not at increased risk of bleeding ...
Symptoms of Aspirin Poisoning
Severe disease can cause acute kidney injury... read more ), kidney failure.
