For years, doctors and health agencies have recommended taking aspirin on a regular basis to prevent heart attack or stroke. However, an influential physician task force issued a major update on the protocol on Tuesday.
The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force said that it finalized its latest recommendation on daily doses of aspirin, saying that individuals aged 60 and older should not begin to take one aspirin per day to prevent heart problems in most cases. They cited possible health risks, including aspirin’s blood-thinning ability.
It noted that while daily aspirin usage has been associated with a lower chance of suffering a first heart attack or stroke, it runs the risk of “bleeding in the stomach, intestines, and brain,” the Task Force said. “The chance of bleeding increases with age and can be life-threatening.”
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