The aspirin mistake: 29 million take it daily, not realizing costs outweigh benefits

The Verge

Because aspirin is a blood thinner, it can help prevent clogged arteries, thereby lowering the risk of stroke or heart attack.
(Be sure to speak with your health care provider before starting or stopping an aspirin regimen.)
Similarly, the oldest respondents were least likely (7%) to correctly say the risks overshadow the benefits, while the youngest were most likely (29%).
Adults 60+ most likely to inadvisably take daily aspirin Roughly 29 million U.S. adults 40 and older—without heart disease—preventatively take aspirin.
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According to a survey conducted in February, nearly one in two participants (48 percent) incorrectly stated that the advantages of taking a daily low-dose aspirin to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke outweigh the risks. 3 through the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC). Thirteen percent of the 1,700+ respondents correctly stated that the risks are now deemed to outweigh the benefits, while another 39 percent were unsure.

Aspirin lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke by preventing clogged arteries. This is because it is a blood thinner. However, the over-the-counter drug may not be the safest preventive method for everyone and carries a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

2019 saw the release of new guidelines by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology regarding the prevention of cardiovascular disease and daily low-dose aspirin (75–100 mg).

Not advised for adults 71 and older.

It is not advised for any adult who is at heightened risk of bleeding.

Higher-risk adults aged 40 to 70 who do not have bleeding may be taken into consideration.

The U. A. In 2022, the Preventive Services Task Force went one step further and declared that aspirin should not be used as the main preventive measure for heart disease in any adult aged 60 and above. Before beginning or ending an aspirin regimen, make sure to consult your healthcare provider. ).

APPC director Kathleen Hall Jamieson, PhD, stated in a news release about the survey that it is difficult to break habits that are supported by common sense and the previous recommendations of healthcare professionals. It’s critical to know whether taking a low-dose aspirin every day is right for you. “”.

The majority of survey participants (57 percent) who had no personal or family history of heart attack or stroke believed that aspirin’s advantages outweighed its disadvantages, whereas the least number (24 percent) who were between the ages of 18 and 39 agreed. In the same way, the youngest respondents (29 percent) were more likely than the oldest (7 percent) to correctly state that the risks outweigh the benefits.

The likelihood of adults 60 and older taking daily aspirin is high.

About 29 million U.S. S. . Aspirin is taken as a preventative measure by adults 40 and older who do not have heart disease. Approximately 0.6 million of them do so without a prescription from a physician. A 2019 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded study supports this. Numerous people who are not at an increased risk of heart disease may still use aspirin, according to the new APPC survey, even though those estimates were based on data gathered prior to the announcement of the new guidelines.

One in five respondents (22 percent) said they take aspirin for heart health at least once a month, with 13 percent saying they take it “almost every day.”. However, older adults were more likely to report taking aspirin at least once a month among those without a history of heart disease.

15 percent of those aged 18 to 39.

40–59: 12 percent.

60+: 26%.

Aspirin use was reported at least monthly by 15% of respondents who were unsure of their family history of heart disease, with 9% reporting daily use.

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