HEALTHY older adults who take a low-dose of aspirin daily may experience a higher risk of a major haemorrhage without any overall cardiovascular benefit, according to research led by Monash University.

Researchers studied outcomes in over 15,000 Australian and American adults aged mostly 70 and older with no history of cardiovascular disease events who took either 100mg aspirin or placebo daily.

Initial results were published in 2018 after a median 4.7 years of treatment, with the current study looking at a further median 4.3 years follow-up.

During the combined 8.3 year study period, there was no evidence overall of cardiovascular prevention with aspirin, but there was evidence of increased major haemorrhage risk in the group randomised to receive aspirin compared to those randomised to placebo.

It was also found in the extension study that those in the aspirin group had a 17% increased risk of cardiovascular events compared to placebo.

“Our findings suggest that individuals taking aspirin for possible primary prevention of cardiovascular events should discuss with their doctors possibly stopping the drug, noting that this advice would not apply to anyone taking aspirin who had already experienced a cardiovascular event and was taking it to prevent recurrent events,” said first author Professor Rory Wolfe of Monash University.

Read the study HERE.

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