I'm a Doctor and Warn You Know This Before Taking Aspirin | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

For years it's been recommended that older adults take an aspirin daily to help prevent a heart attack or stroke, but the U.S.

"The latest evidence is clear: starting a daily aspirin regimen in people who are 60 or older to prevent a first heart attack or stroke is not recommended," stated Task Force member Chien-Wen Tseng, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.E.E in the updated guidelines.

"However, this Task Force recommendation is not for people already taking aspirin for a previous heart attack or stroke; they should continue to do so unless told otherwise by their clinician." In light of this new information, Eat This, Not That!

New evidence reveals that taking a daily aspirin "may help prevent heart attacks and strokes in some people, but it can also cause potentially serious harms, such as internal bleeding," Task Force member John Wong, M.D., stated in the updated guidelines.

Multiple factors need to be assessed – risk/benefit analysis—mainly the benefit of primary prevention from heart disease and stroke versus the risk of bleeding.

The risk of bleeding is the biggest risk and area of concern for patients with no risk factors and no history of heart disease or stroke…The risk of bleeding especially from the gastrointestinal tract is of biggest concern for those over the age of 60 years old.".

If the patient has had a history of a stroke or heart attack then we still recommend they follow the guidelines and take an aspirin as advised by their primary provider.

He added, "Now, 30 years later, we have more tools in primary prevention of a heart attack and extensive data to support our approach," he said, adding: "With all of these advances the need for aspirin in all patients has been negated.".

It's common for patients with COVID-19 to take aspirin to help prevent blood clotting and according to cardiologist Dr.

He explains, "In general we have seen an increase in the incidence of heart attack as well as stroke in patients presenting with both classically symptomatic COVID-19 infection as well as those with little to no symptoms.

Now, in light of new recommendations by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, that the daily use of aspirin in some groups may pose a larger risk for adverse events (hemorrhagic stroke or gastrointestinal bleeding) than previously thought it should not be just a blanket recommendation or thought for all those infected to start taking daily aspirin to prevent adverse outcomes.

These new recommendations are for primary prevention (those individuals without a prior h/o cad, heart attack, previous stents, bypass surgery, stroke) of cardiovascular events (MI, CVA) and thus do not apply to individuals with previously known disease (cad, MI, CVA) and may even represent an altogether different pathological mechanism than those for whom covid infection is the inciting event." He adds,  "Thus, who should still be considered for continuation or even initiation of regular aspirin therapy for prevention of cardiovascular events: 1