The United States suggests that the elderly not take aspirin to prevent heart disease

Preventive services team United State It is considering changing its guidelines on daily intake of aspirin To prevent heart disease and stroke.

On Tuesday (12), the task force published a draft statement recommending that adults between the ages of 40 and 59 who are at a higher risk of infection Cardiovascular disease – but you have no history of disease – decide with your doctor whether to start taking aspirin, based on individual circumstances.

This is the first time the task force has recommended that adults in their forties discuss with their doctors whether they should take aspirin for heart health.

The document also says that adults 60 and older should not take aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke because new evidence shows that the potential harm outweighs the benefits, according to the task force.

“The latest clear evidence: start a daily aspirin regimen for people over 60 years of age to prevent a first heart attack or stroke,” task force member Dr. Shen Wen Tseng said in a report. However, this task force recommendation is not for people who have already had a heart attack or stroke; They should continue to take it unless a doctor tells them otherwise.”

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and causes about 25% of all deaths. While taking a daily low-dose aspirin reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke in some people, it also carries serious risks of potential bleeding in the stomach, intestines and brain, according to the task force.

“Daily use of aspirin can help prevent heart attacks and strokes in some people, but it can also cause potentially serious harm, such as internal bleeding,” the statement said. “It is important that people aged 40 to 59 with no history of heart disease speak with their doctor to decide together if aspirin is right for them.”

The task force last made a recommendation about daily aspirin use was in 2016, when it said the decision to start taking low-dose aspirin “should be individualized” for adults aged 60 to 69. At the time, the group recommended daily low-dose aspirin for adults ages 50 to 59 who had a 10% or greater risk of cardiovascular disease.

Other groups had already pointed out the risks of taking a daily aspirin.

In 2019, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released guidelines saying that low daily aspirin intake is no longer recommended as a preventative for older adults who are not at high risk or existing heart disease.

(Translated text. click here To read the original text in English)