A recent study from scientists at the University of Freiburg has uncovered that aspirin use is linked to a 26% higher risk of heart failure for people who have certain health issues.
These health risks, which make heart failure more likely, include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. Although aspirin is widely used for various health benefits, its effect on heart health remains a topic of debate.
In the study, researchers looked at health data from 30,827 people who had at least one of the health risks that can lead to heart failure. They defined “at risk” as having any of these conditions: smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or heart disease.
The participants, all aged 40 and older and free of heart failure at the start, were grouped based on their aspirin use. Some participants were already using aspirin when the study began, while others were not.
Over the next five years, researchers closely tracked these participants for signs of heart failure severe enough to need hospitalization. By the end of the follow-up period, 1,330 people developed heart failure.
When researchers compared aspirin users to non-users, they found that aspirin use was linked to a 26% higher risk of a first-time diagnosis of heart failure.
To make sure the results were reliable, the team repeated their analysis in different ways. First, they matched people who took aspirin with those who did not, ensuring both groups had similar health risks.
Even with these adjustments, they found the same pattern: aspirin use was associated with a 26% increased risk of heart failure.
To examine the results further, the researchers excluded participants who already had heart disease. Among the remaining 22,690 people, the link between aspirin use and heart failure remained.
For those with no previous heart disease, aspirin was still tied to a 27% increase in the risk of developing heart failure.
The research team highlighted that aspirin was commonly used among the participants, with one in four people taking it regularly. This high rate of aspirin use, paired with the findings, suggests that aspirin may raise the risk of heart failure, even for people who have other health risk factors.
For those at risk, the researchers suggest caution when prescribing aspirin, especially for individuals with existing heart problems or other risk factors.
This study was conducted by Dr. Blerim Mujaj and colleagues and published in ESC Heart Failure, adding to the discussion on the potential risks of aspirin for certain people.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how espresso coffee affects your cholesterol level, and results showing Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
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