DESPITE the multiple studies highlighting the negative risk-benefit ratio of taking daily aspirin, and an otherwise dearth of evidence, millions of healthy adults are still taking the potentially harmful drug, according to a summary article in the UK's The Pharmaceutical Journal.
New guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) clearly discourage the practice.
Nevertheless, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), despite an announcement last year about a clinical trial of more than 19,000 people ages 65 and older in the US and Australia, a lot of people are still using it.
That study found aspirin offered few benefits for healthy older adults and might even raise their risk of bleeding and early death.
The ASPREE Study (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) found that a daily low-dose aspirin in healthy older adults didn't prolong life or help prevent heart disease, physical disability, dementia, or stroke, and that aspirin doesn't have the same benefits for healthy older adults as it does for those who have had a heart attack or stroke.
So while the data is against the use of daily low dose aspirin for primary CVD prevention, it still holds up for secondary prevention.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 30 Sep 19
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 30 Sep 19
