A U.S. government-funded task force for the first time recommended against the use of low-dose aspirin as a preventative measure against heart disease in adults over the age of 60. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPTF) issued its draft recommendation on Oct. 12, stating that the use of the drug “has no net benefit” for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events in people 60 years or older. A review of aspirin studies by USPTF showed that the drug’s use “with a 58% increase in major gastrointestinal bleeding.” Another analysis “showed an increase in intracranial bleeds” in people who took aspirin compared to those who did not. “Although the increase in relative risk does not appear to differ based on age, the absolute risk of bleeding, and thus the magnitude of bleeding harm, does increase with age, and more so in adults age 60 years or older,” the recommendation stated. …