For many years, taking a small daily aspirin was considered one of the simplest ways to protect the heart.
Doctors often recommended low-dose aspirin, sometimes called “baby aspirin,” to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Millions of people around the world began taking it every day because they believed it could help them stay healthy as they aged.
But new research is now raising concerns about whether many older adults should still be following this advice.
A new study from Johns Hopkins University has found that a large number of older Americans continue to take daily low-dose aspirin even though newer medical guidelines suggest the risks may now outweigh the benefits for many people.
The researchers found that many adults over the age of 70 who had never experienced a heart attack or stroke were still using aspirin every day to try to prevent future heart problems.
This is important because doctors now understand much more about the possible dangers of long-term aspirin use, especially in older adults.
Aspirin works by thinning the blood and reducing the ability of blood clots to form. Blood clots can block blood flow to the heart or brain, leading to heart attacks or strokes. Because of this effect, aspirin was once widely seen as an easy and affordable way to lower cardiovascular risk.
For decades, doctors often recommended low-dose aspirin to people with risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking history, or family history of heart disease.
However, newer studies have shown that aspirin can also increase the risk of serious bleeding.
The most common concern is internal bleeding in the stomach or intestines, but aspirin can also increase the risk of bleeding in the brain. These bleeding problems can sometimes become life-threatening, especially in older adults.
As people age, the body becomes more vulnerable to bleeding complications. Blood vessels may become more fragile, and older adults are also more likely to take other medications that further increase bleeding risk.
Because of this, medical experts have reevaluated the balance between the benefits and dangers of aspirin use for people who have never had heart disease.
In the new study, researchers analyzed health information from more than 7,100 adults in the United States aged 60 and older. The results showed that many adults over the age of 70 were still taking aspirin daily even when they did not have a history of heart attack or stroke.
According to the study, between 50% and 62% of adults over age 70 reported regular use of low-dose aspirin.
The researchers estimated that nearly 10 million older Americans who are not considered at high risk for heart disease may still be taking aspirin every day unnecessarily.
Medical guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association now recommend against routine daily aspirin use for most adults over age 70 who have never had cardiovascular disease.
Experts say that for many people in this age group, the risk of dangerous bleeding is simply too high compared with the possible benefit of preventing a first heart attack or stroke.
This does not mean aspirin is no longer useful.
Doctors still strongly recommend aspirin for many patients who have already had a heart attack, stroke, or certain heart procedures. In these cases, aspirin can help prevent another serious cardiovascular event, and the benefits usually outweigh the risks.
This is known as secondary prevention, meaning the medicine is used to stop a second health problem after one has already occurred.
The situation is different for people who have never had heart disease. This is called primary prevention. In recent years, researchers have found that aspirin’s benefits for primary prevention are often smaller than previously believed, especially in older adults.
At the same time, other treatments for heart disease prevention have improved significantly.
For example, cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins are now widely used and can reduce cardiovascular risk without increasing bleeding in the same way aspirin does. Better treatments for blood pressure, diabetes, and lifestyle risk factors have also changed how doctors approach heart disease prevention.
For adults between the ages of 40 and 70, aspirin may still be appropriate in some cases, particularly for people with higher cardiovascular risk and lower bleeding risk. But experts say decisions should now be made carefully on an individual basis.
Researchers believe many older adults continue taking aspirin because they started years ago when medical recommendations were different. Some may not realize that the advice has changed.
Doctors now encourage patients to review all medications regularly with their healthcare providers, especially as they get older. A medicine that was helpful years ago may no longer be the safest option later in life.
Experts also warn that people should not stop taking aspirin suddenly without first speaking to a doctor. Some patients still truly benefit from aspirin therapy, particularly those with a history of cardiovascular disease.
The study highlights how medical advice can evolve as scientists gather better evidence over time. What doctors believed was best twenty years ago may change as new research reveals more about both benefits and risks.
For millions of older adults, this research may be an important reminder to have a conversation with their healthcare provider about whether daily aspirin is still necessary.
Careful medication reviews may help reduce unnecessary risks while ensuring patients continue receiving the treatments that are most beneficial for their health.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
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