We’ve all seen the commercials encouraging people to take an aspirin a day to avoid heart problems, but a new study shows an aspirin regimen may do more harm than good.
A look at the negative side to an aspirin regimen
Researchers looked at nine different aspirin therapy studies and compiled all of the numbers, only to find that aspirin was not associated with a drop in death due to heart attack or stroke and instead were linked to increased bleeding.
“The benefits of aspirin therapy are clear for patients who have a history of heart attack or stroke,” Ray says. “This is not the case, however, for patients who may have risk factors for hearth disease and stroke but have no such history,” Researcher Kausik K. Ray, MD. Said.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, “Although taking an occasional aspirin or two is safe for most adults to use for headaches, body aches or fever, daily use of aspirin can have serious side effects, including internal bleeding.”
Plus, studies show aspirin and other pain killers can lead to erectile dysfunction.
Why an aspirin anyway?
Doctors say an aspirin thins the blood, which can be helpful for those with clogged arteries that are at risk for heart attack. The aspirin prevents the blood from clotting well, so those who are not at risk could have bleeding problems in the future. Cuts will bleed longer, which can be a problem, especially in severe accidents.
Talk to your doctor first
As always, anyone that is thinking about making any medical changes should consult their doctor.
The study is prompting some in the medical field to reevaluate when they give patients the go ahead for an aspirin a day.
“In the absence of such information, a reappraisal of current guidelines appears to be warranted, particularly in countries where a large number of otherwise healthy adults are prescribed aspirin,” the researchers write.
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