In 2019, major cardiologists' groups turned against the routine use of daily low-dose aspirin But new survey data shows that by 2021, almost 30% of Americans ages 60 or older were still taking one every day Because risks from aspirin might exceed benefits, experts urge that patients talk the issue over with their doctors TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For decades, millions of Americans popped a low-dose aspirin each day to . Then, accumulated data prompted the nation's two leading cardiology groups -- the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association -- to overturn advisories in 2019 and recommend daily aspirin, citing a risk for bleeding that exceeded any benefit for most people. Trouble is, many Americans aren't heeding that message and continue to take the daily pill, a new survey finds.
The survey, from a sample representing over 150 million U.S. adults, found that almost a third of heart-healthy people age 60 or older said they took a daily low-dose (81milligrams) each day in 2021.
That's about 18.5 million older Americans, said a team led by . He's a physician in internal medicine who conducted the study while at the Cleveland Clinic.
He's now practicing at Houston Methodist. Add in folks 60 and the number rises to more than 25.6 million Americans taking daily aspirin, the researchers estimated.
Given aspirin's now dubious risk-benefit ratio for folks at average heart risk, "our findings highlight the urgent need for physicians to inquire.