Aspirin is a small pill that many people keep in their homes. It’s been used for over a century to relieve pain, lower fever, and reduce swelling. For decades, doctors also recommended aspirin to help prevent heart attacks. Because of this, it became known as a “wonder drug.” But today, scientists are rethinking who should actually take aspirin for heart health.
Aspirin works by making the blood less likely to form clots. This can help prevent heart attacks, which often happen when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the heart. That’s why doctors used to tell people at high risk of heart problems to take a low dose of aspirin every day. It was also given to people who had already had a heart attack or stroke, to help prevent another one.
However, there’s a catch. The same action that makes aspirin useful—stopping blood from clotting—can also make it harmful. Aspirin increases the risk of bleeding, especially in the stomach or brain. For many people, this side effect can be dangerous.
In recent years, big studies have shown that the risks of aspirin may outweigh the benefits for some people. One important study in 2018, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed more than 19,000 adults over age 65.
It found that taking aspirin every day didn’t lower their risk of heart disease, but it did raise their chances of serious bleeding. This discovery led experts to update their advice.
Now, health organizations like the American Heart Association say that most people over age 70 who have never had heart disease should not take aspirin every day. The risk of bleeding is just too high. The same is true for anyone of any age who has a higher risk of bleeding problems.
For people between 40 and 70 years old, the decision is more complicated. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a strong family history of heart problems, you might benefit from low-dose aspirin. But even then, it’s not a simple yes or no. You need to talk with a doctor who can weigh your personal risks and benefits.
If you’ve already had a heart attack or stroke, the story is different. In those cases, aspirin is still very helpful for preventing another one. Doctors usually recommend it unless there’s a reason you can’t take it, like a history of stomach ulcers or an allergy to aspirin.
It’s also important to remember that pills like aspirin are not the only way to prevent heart disease. Simple daily habits can make a huge difference. Eating healthy foods, being active, not smoking, managing stress, and keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control are powerful tools. These steps can sometimes lower your risk more than medicine alone.
In short, aspirin is no longer seen as a one-size-fits-all answer for heart attack prevention. It can still be life-saving for people who have already had a heart problem. But for others, especially older adults without a history of heart disease, it might do more harm than good.
If you’re thinking about starting—or stopping—aspirin, don’t do it on your own. Talk to your doctor. Together, you can make the best choice for your health. Like many medicines, aspirin is helpful when used wisely—but it’s not right for everyone.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
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