For decades, it was recommended that older adults take a daily aspirin. However, those guidelines were changed in 2019.
A new
survey found that about half of American adults are not aware that the decades-old consensus about taking one low-dose milligram aspirin per day has changed.
For years, health officials and medical groups have recommended that older Americans take one aspirin, a blood thinner, daily to stave off cardiovascular disease or stroke. But in 2019, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology announced new guidelines about low-dose aspirin usage that reversed the prior guidelines, noting that taking one aspirin per day can lead to increased risks of gastrointestinal bleeding.
About five years later, a
survey, released on Feb. 3 by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, found that about 48 percent of U.S. adults believe that for most people, the benefits of taking one low-dose aspirin each day to reduce the chance of stroke or heart attack outweighs the risk. The survey interviewed more than 1,700 people.
About 39 percent of those surveyed said they were not sure, while 13 percent said that the “risks are now thought to prevail over the benefits” under the new guidelines.
“Habits backed by conventional wisdom and the past advice of health care providers are hard to break,” Kathleen Hall Jamieson, head of the Annenberg Public Policy Center who oversaw the survey, said in a
statement on Feb 4. “Knowing whether taking a low-dose aspirin daily is advisable or not for you is vital health information.”
The survey also shed more light on why people may believe low-dose aspirin’s benefits outweigh the risks. About 45 percent of respondents said that they or someone in their family had suffered a heart attack or stroke, compared with 49 percent who did not have a family history of heart attack or stroke.
People who have a personal history of heart attack or stroke have been told to take a low-dose daily aspirin, typically around 81 milligrams. The survey found that about 18 percent of people with no history of either health problem reported taking aspirin daily, with 43 percent saying that the benefits outweigh the risks.
In 2019, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association
changed their guidelines on daily aspirin usage, saying that it should only be taken infrequently because older adults could be at an increased risk of developing internal bleeding. However, daily aspirin practice is still recommended for individuals who have a high risk of a heart attack or stroke.
An independent panel of health officials known as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made a similar
recommendation in 2022, after they had suggested daily aspirin usage to combat a heart attack or stroke.
Health officials have said that aspirin irritates the lining of the stomach, triggering internal bleeding, ulcers, and gastrointestinal problems. As a blood thinner, aspirin can also be dangerous for people who are at a high risk of bleeding, officials say.
Older adults without heart disease shouldn’t take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, the preventive services group said at the time. Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven’t had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, it said.
Last year, a study
published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that 18.5 million adults aged 60 and older with no history of cardiovascular disease reported taking preventative aspirin in 2021, the last data available. Of that figure, 3.3 million reported taking daily aspirin without being directed by a doctor or medical professional.
