Aspirin May Lead to Ulcers or Other Bleeding Problems

For a number of years, the medical establishment and scientists have urged people to take an aspirin daily to ward off strokes and heart attacks.  The belief is that taking a low dose of aspirin regularly offered some type of heart protection.  Many middle aged individuals bought into this theory, and according to The Wall Street Journal, more than forty-four million packages of low dose aspirin were sold this past year, up twelve percent from 2005.  Medical experts, however, are refining their earlier suggestions that everyone can benefit from taking aspirin daily.

Among their concerns is that aspirin can produce dangerous side effects, such as bleeding ulcers, which can far outweigh any small impact it may provide in the way of health care.  This is especially troubling when otherwise healthy individuals take aspirin to ward off heart attacks and begin to develop other gastrointestinal problems because of the aspirin.  The medical community, therefore, is beginning to recommend that taking the drug on a daily basis only be recommended to those who are at high risk for stroke or heart disease, or who have already experienced a heart attack or stroke.  The new guidelines suggest that men, ages forty-five to seventy-nine, take aspirin if they have increased heart disease risk because of smoking or high cholesterol levels.  Further, it is suggested that women, ages fifty-five to seventy-nine, take aspirin if they are at risk for having a stroke due to high blood pressure or diabetes.  In both circumstances, individuals should be evaluated for ulcers and bleeding problems, and if either exists, aspirin should not be recommended.  Additionally, the drug is not recommended for those over the age of eighty or younger than the aforementioned age groups.

The reason that aspirin is championed as a protector against heart disease is because it acts as a blood thinner, which guards against clots that cause strokes or heart attacks.  This same thinning action, however, can also affect the stomach’s lining, causing bleeding.  Although the chances of developing these conditions are relatively low, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force is asking doctors to evaluate patients individually, and if a person is otherwise healthy and does not present other risk factors, to not prescribe aspirin as part of a treatment regimen.

Although these recommendations are contrary to what many people have believed for a number of years and different from what other countries recommend, one thing is clear.  Not all individuals should be treated in a similar fashion for heart disease.  If you have been prescribed an aspirin regimen, but don’t have any of the risk factors listed above, have never experienced a heart attack or stroke, or are out of the age range, discuss alternative options with your physician.  If, on the other hand, you are at risk for heart disease and have experienced a heart attack or stroke, you should talk with your doctor about beginning an aspirin regimen if you do not take the drug already.  It many case it has been shown to be a lifesaver….literally.