Last Updated: 24th July, 2022
A new study found that consuming aspirin every day with a hope of preventing stroke, in fact, it can cause more damage than thought before. This study was published in the American Heart Association Journal on 17th March, 2019 as preventive guidelines on cardiovascular diseases.
Aspirin is a very commonly available medicine. It is a pain reliever medication drug. It is also consumed by people suffering from heart diseases on a regular basis in order to prevent heart attacks and strokes. It works by thinning the blood, thus preventing the formation of clots.
Most people consume aspirin on a daily basis to avoid a heart attack or stroke. But recently the myth has been broken which reveals that daily consumption of aspirin does more harm than good to the human body. This is for people who intake the drug with no past history of such diseases.
This research does not apply to people who have a medical history of heart attacks, stroke or other cardiovascular diseases. This is also not for people who have undergone bypass surgery or have got stents installed in their coronary arteries.
According to the study, in people with no sign of any heart disease, aspirin can cause excessive internal bleeding and other side effects.
An older study supports the present study stating that daily consumption of aspirin does no benefits to the human body. This study was done to find out if there are any benefits of taking aspirin daily for healthy older adults.
Researchers also said that aspirin can be considered a useful medicine for people with no past records of cardiovascular diseases, only if they show no signs of blood thinning or if their doctor advises them to consume aspirin.
Dr. Erin Michos, one of the writers of new preventive guidelines said, “In more today’s society, heart attack rates have dropped with reduced smoking rates and better blood pressure treatment, better cholesterol management.”
Michos further added, “In prior studies, there was likely more of a role for aspirin back, although the bleeding problem was always seen there. The risk of bleeding and the advantages of decreasing heart attacks are quite balanced, even to even, for key prevention. There is not really much beneficial to take aspirin.”
Dr. Daniel Muñoz, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee said, “It is evident that aspirin may actually do more damage than good for certain peoples – the elderly and, in specific, patients with a high (internal) chance of bleeding – and since there are no absolutes, so these choices need to be adapted to people.”
Experts recommend that there are other important ways in which prevention and precaution can be taken in order to avoid the risk of heart diseases. A healthy lifestyle, doing physical activities and having a healthy diet can assist an individual stay well and stay far away from these conditions.
