My G.P. retired to New Zealand, and I haven’t found a new doctor yet. But a thread got me thinking. I’m 48 years old. Is there a downside to taking low dose aspirin daily to help prevent heart issues?
My G.P. retired to New Zealand, and I haven’t found a new doctor yet. But a thread got me thinking. I’m 48 years old. Is there a downside to taking low dose aspirin daily to help prevent heart issues?
Yes. GI irritation and trouble with blood clotting. It is best to see your physician before self medicating. Your history and bloodwork will provide the answer.
Posts: 17529 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015
Side effects and risks depend on the patient. I have been taking one full strength aspirin every day with my PCP's knowledge and approval. At 76, I bruise more easily but experience no other ill effects. YMMV.
Posts: 11875 | Location: St. Louis, Missouri | Registered: February 04, 2008
If taking other medications check and see if there are any contraindications. Blood thinners for an example, though a little severe as an example. Everything can affect another drug, and sometimes it takes a combination of drugs to take it over the top. And everybody reacts differentially.
Jim
Posts: 1354 | Location: Southern Black Hills | Registered: September 14, 2012
There is a recently published study of ~100,000 patients in The Lancet.
quote:
Summary
Background
A one-dose-fits-all approach to use of aspirin has yielded only modest benefits in long-term prevention of cardiovascular events, possibly due to underdosing in patients of large body size and excess dosing in patients of small body size, which might also affect other outcomes. Methods
Using individual patient data, we analysed the modifying effects of bodyweight (10 kg bands) and height (10 cm bands) on the effects of low doses (≤100 mg) and higher doses (300–325 mg or ≥500 mg) of aspirin in randomised trials of aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular events. We stratified the findings by age, sex, and vascular risk factors, and validated them in trials of aspirin in secondary prevention of stroke. Additionally, we assessed whether any weight or height dependence was evident for the effect of aspirin on 20-year risk of colorectal cancer or any in-trial cancer. Results
Among ten eligible trials of aspirin in primary prevention (including 117 279 participants), bodyweight varied four-fold and trial median weight ranged from 60·0 kg to 81·2 kg (p<0·0001). The ability of 75–100 mg aspirin to reduce cardiovascular events decreased with increasing weight (pinteraction=0·0072), with benefit seen in people weighing 50–69 kg (hazard ratio 0·75 [95% CI 0·65–0·85]) but not in those weighing 70 kg or more (0·95 [0·86–1·04]; 1·09 [0·93–1·29] for vascular death). Furthermore, the case fatality of a first cardiovascular event was increased by low-dose aspirin in people weighing 70 kg or more (odds ratio 1·33 [95% CI 1·08–1·64], p=0·0082). Higher doses of aspirin (≥325 mg) had the opposite interaction with bodyweight (difference pinteraction=0·0013), reducing cardiovascular events only at higher weight (pinteraction=0·017). Findings were similar in men and women, in people with diabetes, in trials of aspirin in secondary prevention, and in relation to height (pinteraction=0·0025 for cardiovascular events). Aspirin-mediated reductions in long-term risk of colorectal cancer were also weight dependent (pinteraction=0·038). Stratification by body size also revealed harms due to excess dosing: risk of sudden death was increased by aspirin in people at low weight for dose (pinteraction=0·0018) and risk of all-cause death was increased in people weighing less than 50 kg who were receiving 75–100 mg aspirin (HR 1·52 [95% CI 1·04–2·21], p=0·031). In participants aged 70 years or older, the 3-year risk of cancer was also increased by aspirin (1·20 [1·03–1·47], p=0·02), particularly in those weighing less than 70 kg (1·31 [1·07–1·61], p=0·009) and consequently in women (1·44 [1·11–1·87], p=0·0069).
Interpretation
Low doses of aspirin (75–100 mg) were only effective in preventing vascular events in patients weighing less than 70 kg, and had no benefit in the 80% of men and nearly 50% of all women weighing 70 kg or more. By contrast, higher doses of aspirin were only effective in patients weighing 70 kg or more. Given that aspirin's effects on other outcomes, including cancer, also showed interactions with body size, a one-dose-fits-all approach to aspirin is unlikely to be optimal, and a more tailored strategy is required.
“Agnostic, gun owning, conservative, college educated hillbilly”
Posts: 4139 | Location: Middle Finger of WV | Registered: March 29, 2010
Originally posted by Spokane228: My G.P. retired to New Zealand, and I haven’t found a new doctor yet. But a thread got me thinking. I’m 48 years old. Is there a downside to taking low dose aspirin daily to help prevent heart issues?
Aspirin is a drug. Don't take drugs you don't need. If you don't know whether you need it then best find out, first.
"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
One side effect to be aware of is "ringing in the ears", from too much in blood system.
--Tom The right of self preservation, in turn, was understood as the right to defend oneself against attacks by lawless individuals, or, if absolutely necessary, to resist and throw off a tyrannical government.
Originally posted by walkinghorse: If taking other medications check and see if there are any contraindications. Blood thinners for an example, though a little severe as an example. Everything can affect another drug, and sometimes it takes a combination of drugs to take it over the top. And everybody reacts differentially.
I take both blood thinner /Plavix and 81 mg aspirin. But I have 5 stents.
美しい犬
Posts: 6673 | Location: Near the Metropolis of Tightsqueeze, Va | Registered: February 18, 2007
The idea of dosing by weight/size is interesting, but hasn't yet been corroborated by randomized controlled trials yet, so official guidelines will likely remain the same for now.
_________________________ “ What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.”— Lord Melbourne
Posts: 18381 | Location: One hop from Paradise | Registered: July 27, 2004
I took low dose aspirin on the advice of my doctors. Couple of years in I had a lower GI bleed, losing 1/2 of my blood volume. Needless to say, I stopped the aspirin therapy.
Posts: 1323 | Location: Gainesville, VA | Registered: February 27, 2006
I have been taking a low dose aspirin since my mid-40s. Increased bruising is evident and if I nick myself in the workshop, I bleed on everything. I guess it's working!
It does concern me that a brain bleed would get out of control really quickly if I were unfortunate enough to have one. I guess the odds of having CAD are higher than aneurysm.
Posts: 9030 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002
I still take a baby asprin despite intestinal problems with asprin. Counteract it with a daily Nexium. Cardiologist and Gastro guy conferred and agreed it was best.
Starting in late teens I had low back pain and treated it with lots of asprin. First surgery at 31. When Advil hit the market used that. Lots of it. 3 lower back surgeries. I’m 70. 3 stents in early 50s.
Mid 60s began having stomach pain. Scopes at both ends revealed lesions from asprin and its cousins.
No more asprin except low dose for diagnosed heart disease.
Don’t like being tied to nexium but must make choices. Which is worse, heart attack or asprin side effects? Use of Nexium seems to be counteracting daily baby asprin irritation successfully.
I suggest working it out with your MD.
Posts: 1623 | Location: Texas Hill Country | Registered: April 07, 2006
My GP said that all aspirin will cause some internal stomach bleeding, that its best to get an Enteric Coated pill like Excedrin 81mg which is what he suggested. The coating seems to help reduce or eliminate the bleeding stomach issues from straight aspirin.
Posts: 24339 | Location: Gunshine State | Registered: November 07, 2008
I am prescribed one daily but I am on other heart meds as well as warfarin. I have an artificial mitral valve and a pacemaker (second one in less than a year).
_____________________
Be careful what you tolerate. You are teaching people how to treat you.
Posts: 5725 | Location: Ohio | Registered: December 27, 2008
Two ablasions in three months. On full dose (325) prescribed by my electro-physiologist. Before hand, was on baby aspirin. Low dose just doesn't, nor did it positively affect me.
========================================== Just my 2¢ ____________________________
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right ♫♫♫
Posts: 7731 | Location: Raleighwood | Registered: June 27, 2006
