The leading causes of death and disability among older Americans are heart disease and stroke. Blood clots that form in the blood vessels leading to the heart or brain are typically what cause these diseases.
Aspirin can aid in preventing a second heart attack in elderly people who have experienced a heart attack or stroke. The blood is thinned and fewer blood clots form when aspirin is taken. A low daily dose of aspirin has also been shown to lower the risk of experiencing one’s first heart attack or stroke in people who are at a high risk of doing so.
According to a recent study, healthy elderly people who take a low dose of aspirin daily do not live longer or experience fewer heart attacks or strokes.
You can read more about why seniors should take aspirin every day in the section below. The effects and risks of taking aspirin are addressed in this article as well. Read on.
Reasons: Why Do the Elderly Take Aspirin Daily?
Daily aspirin use may lessen the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but not all elderly men should use this strategy. The Elderly should use this strategy. Your elderly age, general health, family history of heart disease, and the likelihood of having another heart attack or stroke all play a role in the answer.
A daily dose of aspirin can be used for two different purposes.
Primary Prevention
As a result, you have not suffered a heart attack or stroke. You have not undergone coronary artery bypass surgery, coronary angioplasty, or stenting, or experienced a blockage in an artery in your neck, leg, or any other part of your body. You nevertheless take aspirin every day to avoid such cardiac events. It’s debatable whether aspirin has any advantages in this situation.
Your doctor may recommend a low daily dose of aspirin as primary prevention of a heart attack or stroke if
- You are between the ages of 40 and 59 and you have a high risk (10% or higher) of having your first heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years
- Your doctor might advise you to take aspirin every day if you’ve previously experienced a heart attack or stroke or have a known heart condition in order to avoid having one again, unless you have a history of severe allergies or bleeding.
- You are younger than 60 years old, have diabetes, and at least one heart disease risk factor (such as smoking or high blood pressure).
- You don’t have a heart attack, but you have had a coronary artery bypass surgery or a stent placed in a coronary artery, or you have angina or another medical condition for which aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Secondary Prevention
This indicates that you have experienced a heart attack or stroke or that you are known to have heart or blood vessel disease. To avoid a heart attack or stroke, you take aspirin each day. The advantages of daily aspirin therapy in this case are widely acknowledged.
Should Elderly People Take Aspirin Daily?
Newer recommendations from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology from 2019 discourage routine aspirin use for primary prevention due to bleeding risks and recommend statins as the first medication most patients should try for this purpose. Aspirin’s bleeding risks, particularly for older patients, must be weighed against its benefits for secondary prevention.
Avoid beginning a daily aspirin regimen without first consulting a medical professional. Although most adults can safely take aspirin once or twice for a headache, body ache, or fever, taking an aspirin daily can have serious side effects, including gastrointestinal bleeding.
If taking aspirin regularly can help you avoid having a heart attack or stroke, your healthcare provider will go over the benefits and drawbacks of doing so in detail. Heart attacks and strokes are generally more likely as people age. Aspirin, however, actually increases the risk of bleeding. Therefore.
- The benefits of taking aspirin on a daily basis are outweighed by the risk of bleeding in elderly people with low heart attack risk.
- The benefits of taking daily aspirin are more likely to outweigh the risk of bleeding the higher the risk of a heart attack.
According to some recent recommendations, individuals 60 years of age and older without a history of heart or vascular disease shouldn’t begin taking aspirin daily to prevent their first heart attack or stroke due to the risk of bleeding. But regulations differ from one organization to another. Some recommendations state that aspirin therapy shouldn’t be started after the age of 70.
Talk to your healthcare provider about daily aspirin therapy and how it might affect you if you or your elderly loved one is between the ages of 60 and 69.
Potential Risks of the Elderly Taking Aspirin Daily
Side effects and complications of taking aspirin daily include:
Allergic Reactions
If you are allergic to aspirin, taking any dose of aspirin can cause a serious allergic reaction. In order to prevent excessive bleeding, be sure to let your surgeon or dentist know if you take aspirin and require surgical or dental treatment. Without first talking to your doctor, do not stop taking aspirin.
Stroke Due to Blood Vessel Rupture
Daily aspirin use lowers the risk of strokes brought on by blood clots but raises the risk of strokes brought on by bleeding.
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
When you take aspirin daily, your risk of getting a stomach ulcer increases. Taking aspirin could be potentially fatal if you already have gastrointestinal bleeding or a bleeding ulcer.
Conclusion
In general, aspirin is taken daily by the elderly to prevent heart disease and other symptoms; however, you should only take aspirin under the direction of your doctor because there are significant potential risks associated with doing so.
FAQs
What Happens If the Elderly Stop Taking Aspirin Every Day?
Please get in touch with your doctor if you have been instructed to take aspirin daily by a medical professional. Aspirin and any other blood-thinning medications should be taken daily and exactly as prescribed by your doctor if you have had a heart attack or have a stent in one or more of your heart arteries. Stopping a daily aspirin regimen could result in a rebound effect that could lead to blood clots and a heart attack.
If I Take Aspirin Every Day, is It Still Safe to Take Aspirin During a Heart Attack?
Aspirin use during a heart attack is both safe and advised. Call 911 or emergency medical services if you believe you are having a heart attack. Ask for assistance right away. Aspirin won’t be enough to prevent death in the event of a heart attack.
