Is It Safe to Take Aspirin Daily?
An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away, right? It turns out that this old adage could be hazardous to your health.
“Aspirin therapy is no longer a one-size-fits-all,” says David Cork, MD, a cardiologist at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines. “For some patients, aspirin is certainly needed, but it’s unnecessary in many patients and could cause a little more harm than good.”
Aspirin is one of the most commonly used over-the-counter medications, and for many years, it was thought that the blood-thinning properties of low-dose aspirin could help protect from heart attack or stroke with little risk for side effects. But studies have shown that those same blood-thinning properties also increase the risk of bleeding in the stomach, intestines and brain, which can be life-threatening.
Updated guidelines
Guidance has shifted over the years to reflect side effect risks. In 2022, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its guidelines, advising against the use of daily low-dose aspirin in adults 60 or older who have not suffered a prior cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke. Adults 40 to 59 who have a 10% or greater chance of heart disease may consider taking daily aspirin but should do so only with their doctor’s approval.
Though the recommendations have changed, daily aspirin can still benefit some patients who have suffered a prior heart attack, stroke or other coronary event.
“We’re not saying aspirin is not good for anybody. We’re saying for primary prevention patients, especially the older patients who don’t have those underlying conditions, aspirin might not be as helpful as we once thought and might even be dangerous. However, we still use it commonly in patients with coronary disease,” says Dr. Cork.
“It’s important to recognize that in coronary disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke patients, we still use aspirin for secondary prevention — meaning we’re trying to reduce the risk of another cardiovascular event.”
Other ways to lower risk
Dr. Cork stresses that though aspirin is no longer recommended for some patients, there are other ways to lower the risk of a cardiac event — eating healthy, exercising regularly, controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol, managing chronic conditions, not smoking and lowering stress levels.
“We want patients to ask their providers specifically about whether they need to take aspirin or not,” says Dr. Cork. “It would be helpful for their clinicians to help make that decision with them.”
This content appeared in San Diego Health, a publication in partnership between Scripps and San Diego Magazine that celebrates the healthy spirit of San Diego.