A new study from Johns Hopkins University has revealed that many older Americans are still taking a daily low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes—even though updated medical guidelines suggest this may not be safe or helpful for most of them.
Aspirin has long been used to protect against heart problems because it helps prevent blood clots. For years, doctors recommended it to people at risk for heart disease. But newer research has changed that advice, especially for adults aged 70 and older who have never had heart problems.
The Johns Hopkins team looked at data from more than 7,100 Americans over the age of 60 who took part in a nationwide health survey. They found that between 50% and 62% of people aged 70 and older were still taking low-dose aspirin regularly—even though many of them had no history of heart disease.
This is important because using aspirin in people who’ve never had a heart attack or stroke—called “primary prevention”—can actually cause more harm than good in older adults. As people age, the risk of serious bleeding, especially in the stomach or brain, increases. In fact, nearly 10 million Americans may be taking aspirin for prevention when they likely shouldn’t be.
Current medical guidelines now discourage routine aspirin use for people aged 70 and older unless they’ve already had heart issues. For people between ages 40 to 70, aspirin might still be helpful in some cases—but only if they’re at risk for heart disease and not at high risk for bleeding.
So, what should you do if you’re taking aspirin every day?
The answer is simple: talk to your doctor. Many people began taking aspirin years ago when the recommendations were different. But as new research comes out, it’s important to revisit those decisions. Your doctor can help weigh the benefits and risks based on your health history.
For older adults especially, newer strategies like taking statins (which lower bad cholesterol) are now the preferred way to prevent heart disease if you haven’t had heart problems before. Healthy lifestyle choices—such as eating well, exercising, and managing blood pressure and cholesterol—also remain essential.
In short, daily aspirin still plays an important role for people who have already had a heart attack or stroke. But for many older adults using it to prevent a first-time heart event, the risks may now outweigh the benefits.
This study is a good reminder to check in with your doctor about any long-term medications—especially if the advice around them has changed.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how to remove plaques that cause heart attacks, and results showing a new way to prevent heart attacks, strokes.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
