For many, the practice can be beneficial but for others, it may not be.
Taking an aspirin has long been touted as an effective treatment in some people to ward off the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Aspirin works by keeping your platelets from clumping together. This thereby reduces your chances of suffering from a harmful blood clot. A new study has shown that aspirin use can be associated with an increased risk of suffering from heart failure in some groups, however.
What should you believe? Here’s a look.
Who Can Benefit from Daily Aspirin Therapy
First, let’s state the necessary. You should never start an aspirin regimen without consulting with your doctor first. Always talk with a medical professional about your personal health situation before taking aspirin daily. This is because it’s not something that works well for everyone.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two types of aspirin therapy. One involves primary prevention, and the other, secondary prevention. If you’re taking aspirin for primary prevention it means you have never had a heart attack or a stroke. You have also never had a coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty, blocked arteries, or a stent placement. In this situation, you are taking aspirin for prevention. You want to stop these things from happening.
Some experts agree this works and is a good idea, while others don’t. It’s an ongoing debate.
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In the second scenario, you could be taking aspirin because you have already had a heart attack or a stroke. Alternately, you may be living with heart disease or vascular disease. The idea is that you are taking aspirin daily to prevent a recurrence of these events or a worsening of your condition. Experts tend to agree that this works well. In these circumstances, taking aspirin regularly is a good idea.
Who Should Avoid Daily Aspirin Therapy
As with most treatments, there are some situations to avoid. Experts say that it may not be a good idea to take aspirin daily if you have a clotting or bleeding disorder. You should also avoid it if you’re allergic to aspirin (obviously). Finally, you should avoid the practice if you have a history of gastrointestinal bleeding or if you suffer from bleeding stomach ulcers.
These Are the Risks of Taking Aspirin Daily
Again, always talk to your doctor before deciding to take aspirin daily. The reason you should avoid aspirin therapy if you have some history of bleeding abnormally is that aspirin itself reduces your blood’s ability to clot. This thereby increases your chances of bleeding. Taking aspirin daily increases your risk of developing a stomach ulcer and having gastrointestinal bleeding which can become fatal. And while daily aspirin can help prevent a stroke caused by a blood clot, it can actually cause another type of stroke. Aspirin can increase your chances of suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke. This is a stroke that happens when a blood vessel bursts in your brain.
What the New Study Says
So, now that you’ve read the background on daily aspirin taking, here’s the new stuff.
A study done by the European Society of Cardiology found that taking aspirin regularly was associated with a 26% increased risk of suffering from heart failure in some people. This was found to be true in people who had at least one predisposing factor for heart disease. This included many factors. Being obese, being a smoker, having high blood pressure or high cholesterol, being diabetic, and living with cardiovascular disease were all on the list.
The study’s participants were 40 years and older and none of them had heart failure at the beginning. Some participants were regular aspirin takers, and others were not. The majority of the participants were men, and just 34% were women.
According to the study’s author, Dr. Blerim Mujaj of the University of Freiburg, Germany, his work showed that aspirin should be prescribed with caution.
“Aspirin is commonly used,” Dr. Mujaja stated. “In our study one in four participants were taking the medication. In this population, aspirin use was associated with incident heart failure, independent of other risk factors,” he remarked. “…our observations suggest that aspirin should be prescribed with caution in those with heart failure or with risk factors for the condition.”
Looking for protection? If you feel you are a good candidate for a daily aspirin regimen, talk to your doctor. Make sure it really is safe for you before you start.
photo credits: Irin Fierce/Shutterstock.com
