“Older adults who have not had any cardiovascular disease event before should not take aspirin,” Dr. Rhee says. “It's better to focus on healthy diet and exercise, as they are well-known protective factors for cardiovascular disease.”
Other recommendations say to avoid starting daily aspirin therapy after age 70. If you're between ages 60 and 69, ask your health care provider how daily aspirin therapy may affect you.
The USPSTF now recommends against its use for prevention of a first heart attack or stroke in people aged 60 years or older with no clinical evidence or history of vascular disease.
"What we found is that compared to older studies, aspirin appears to have less benefit from cardiovascular disease," Dr. John Wong, a physician at Tufts Medical Center and a member of the task force, told NPR in November. "And there's an increasing risk of bleeding as people age," he says.
Aspirin has been linked with Reye's syndrome, so use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers for fever or pain. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin.
Some medical conditions, such as pregnancy, uncontrolled high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, asthma, peptic (stomach) ulcers, liver and kidney disease, could make aspirin a bad choice for you.
Now studies show that because aspirin thins the blood, it can also help to lower the chances of a heart attack or a stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain.
Like most medicines, aspirin has side effects. It irritates your stomach lining and can trigger gastrointestinal upset, ulcers and bleeding. And, because it thins your blood, it can be dangerous for people who are at higher risk of bleeding.
You'll usually take a dose of 75mg once a day. Sometimes, doses are higher. It's best to take low-dose aspirin with food so it does not upset your stomach. Only take low-dose aspirin if your doctor or midwife recommends it, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Bleeding — The main problem that aspirin can cause is internal bleeding. Most often, it causes bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract (primarily the stomach and small intestines) that is not usually fatal. But bleeding can also occur at other sites, with bleeding in the brain being the most serious.
Your doctor may prescribe low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attack or stroke if you've already had one or if you have known heart disease.
Heart diseases and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability in older adults in the U.S. These are often caused by blood clots that form in the blood vessels to the heart or the brain. For people who've had a heart attack or stroke, aspirin can help prevent a second one.
Aspirin isn't commonly known to affect blood pressure. But it does come with a higher risk of bleeding. There are a few groups of people who may benefit from taking low-dose aspirin (81 mg per day). This includes people who've previously had a heart attack or stroke.
“Older adults who have not had any cardiovascular disease event before should not take aspirin,” Dr. Rhee says. “It's better to focus on healthy diet and exercise, as they are well-known protective factors for cardiovascular disease.”
Another study found that regular users of aspirin were twice as likely to have wet AMD over the long-term than those not taking it regularly.
If you forget to take a dose of aspirin, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take 2 doses to make up for a forgotten dose. If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you.
Older adults should consider it carefully because aspirin can affect the kidneys. As we age, our kidneys grow less able to filter our blood. So, medicines that are cleared by the kidneys, including aspirin, can accumulate in the body.
Aspirin can cause several forms of liver injury: in high doses, aspirin can cause moderate to marked serum aminotransferase elevations occasionally with jaundice or signs of liver dysfunction, and in lower doses in susceptible children with a febrile illness aspirin can lead to Reye syndrome.
A new study published in November 2022 in Annals of Internal Medicine found apibaxan to be the safest blood thinner among DOACs, including dabigatran, edoxaban and rivaroxaban. Apibaxan was associated with the lowest risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
While aspirin doesn't cause blood clots, it's always best to consult with your doctor before starting on any aspirin therapy as a preventative for blood clot development.