Mega Doctor News
By University of California San Diego Health
New draft recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend against taking aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes for most people. The Oct. 12, 2021 guidelines are based on new evidence showing that the risks of daily low-dose aspirin — especially from stomach issues and bleeding in the brain due to falls — outweigh the benefits it provides in helping to prevent heart disease for persons 60 years and older.
For people 40 to 59, the task force found only a small net benefit to taking aspirin as a preventive medication.
Medical experts say no one currently taking aspirin should quit before consulting their doctor first because the drug still has an anti-inflammatory effect that may provide a net benefit to some patients.