Nearly Half of Older Adults Report Daily Aspirin Use Despite Serious Risks

Researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center (BIDMC) are urging older adults to cut their aspirin intake, reports Earth.com . Though previous medical guidelines have recommended aspirin for people without elevated bleeding risk, three studies conducted in 2018 have found that aspirin is more harmful than beneficial. The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology now advise adults over the age of 70 without existing heart disease or stroke to forgo taking aspirin. But a study from BIDMC found that many older adults regularly take aspirin either without their physician's knowledge or against their physician's advice. Indeed, some 29 million people over the age of 40 are taking aspirin daily, and almost 50 percent of adults over the age of 70 with no history of heart disease are taking aspirin daily.