Could Aspirin Be Making People's Conditions Worse Rather than Better?
Millions of elderly people take aspirins every day to reduce risks of heart attack and stroke.
However, over-75s are 10 times more likely to have disabling or fatal bleeds if they take the medicine, according to research at Oxford University that has been published in The Lancet. They estimate that taking the medicine daily could be responsible for over 3,000 deaths a year. The research authors say that patients should take aspirin if they have already had a heart attack or stroke, but they should also have a further drug to lower risks of bleeding.
GPs have cautioned against patients coming off aspirin too quickly, or they could face higher risks of heart attacks.
Around two in five pensioners in the UK take aspirin every day, with half of those doing so because they have already had a heart attack or stroke, and the other half just doing so as a precaution.
Gastro-intestinal bleeding has always been a concern, but this latest study shows the danger to be far more for the elderly than had been previously thought.
Comment
All medicines come with some risks, even those that many consider to be harmless. This study shows the dangers of taking any medicine without appreciating the risks and side effects.