Daily Aspirin Only Helps If You Have Bad Heart History

A common bit of medical lore says that taking a daily aspirin is a useful way of reducing heart attack risk for the over-40s. However, a new study suggests that advice only makes sense if you already have a history of heart problems.

Picture by jypsygen

You don’t have to look far to find the daily aspirin idea online, but a growing body of evidence suggests that it isn’t a sensible approach for everyone. BBC News reports that a study of 95,000 patients found no obvious benefits to the approach, while the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding went up significantly.

While caution in this space also isn’t new (Snopes’ comprehensive page on aspirin and heart attacks also argues that daily aspirin only makes sense when confirmed by a medical professional), a study across 95,000 people sounds more than good enough to us.

Aspirin ‘only for heart patients’ [BBC News]