An aspirin a day keeps heart attack at bay- New study says otherwise

Aspirin prevents the formation of clots and is a blood thinner and this property is widely used as preventive medicine for preempting heart attacks or strokes.

An Aspirin a day keeps heart attacks at bay. This is an old adage and has stood the test of time. However, of late there have been a number of studies that have started doubting if this is really true or a myth. Any medicine has potential good effects as well as side effects. It is also a well-known fact that any medicine which is synthetic and not found naturally will bound to have a certain adverse effect and it is the purview of the doctor to weigh potential side effects with it beneficial effects and decide if a patient must be given any medicine.

The US Preventive Services Task Force which is an independent body has found that low dose aspirin has a little beneficial effect in subjects who are aged between 40 to 59 years in preventing cardiovascular disease as well as strokes.

Aspirin – One of the oldest Analgesic

Aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is also the oldest and one of the most widely used analgesics. One of the effects of Aspirin is that it prevents the formation of clots and is a blood thinner and this property is widely used as preventive medicine for preempting heart attacks or strokes. Aspirin thus prevents clots which is a precipitating factor for heart attacks and strokes. However, Aspirin has a number of side effects which include gastric irritation as well as causing respiratory distress. Hence Aspirin is not recommended in patients with ulcers and asthma.

The latest studies by the US Preventive Services Task Force has revealed that the risks associated with taking Aspirin as a blood thinner far outweighs its potential benefits in subjects between the ages of 40 to 59.

Risky to take aspirin if you don’t have a heart attack, stroke history — US body reverses stand

Taskforce changes its 2016 recommendation, says taking low-dose aspirin has little benefit for people between the ages of 40 and 59 who are at risk of cardiovascular disease. Chien-Wen Tseng, a member of the task force that Aspirin is not recommended in subjects who don’t have a history of heart attacks or strokes and subjects must not start taking Aspirin just because they have reached a certain age.

When to take Aspirin and when not?

According to experts, if a person has a 10% chance of having a cardiovascular ailment he should start taking Aspirin only after consultation with a cardiologist.  People who are above the age of 60 and never had an incidence of cardiac ailment will not have any benefit by taking Aspirin as preventive medicine. If a person does not have any history of cardiovascular ailment in their family, he also must not take aspirin.