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Many people taking aspirin probably don’t need it. Aspirin has become a mainstay in preventing a variety of diseases related to blood clotting, including heart attacks and stroke. In spite of the benefits of aspirin there are also risks of bleeding that can be dangerous and even deadly. “Researchers examined the medical records of patients who were being tracked as part of the American College of Cardiology’s PINNACLE registry. They focused on patients who were taking aspirin to prevent their first heart attack or stroke.” They assessed the risk for death from heart attack or stroke in each of these patients. “Their analysis revealed that 11.6% of the patients had a risk below 6%, which is too low to justify the potential side effects of the therapy. In general, these patients were much younger (49.9 years old, on average) than people taking aspirin with good reason (average age 65.9 years). 80% of them were women. In fact, 16.6% of the women analyzed were taking aspirin inappropriately, compared with only 5.3% of the men.” This isn’t to say all younger women taking aspirin don’t need it. But it does indicate that many may have been put on aspirin with careful thought about whether the benefits outweigh the risks. If you’re on aspirin, discuss the reasons why with your doctor.
