A new survey finds that one in four adults aged 50 to 80 years take aspirin at least three times a week, and most of those (57%), do not have a history of cardiovascular disease. That is despite changes in national guidelines about the use of aspirin for prevention; benefit is now weighed against the risk of bleeding.
The National Poll on Healthy Aging, conducted at the University of Michigan, suggests that 14% of all adults aged 50 to 80 years are taking aspirin even though they have no history of cardiovascular issues.
Clinical guidelines now advise against routine aspirin use after age 70 years or recommend that it be stopped around age 75 years in those without cardiovascular disease, according to the survey.
“Aspirin is no longer a one-size-fits-all preventive tool for older adults, which for decades it was touted as,” explained Jordan Schaefer, MD, MSc, a hematologist at Michigan Medicine who worked with the poll team. “This poll shows we have a long way to go to make sure aspirin use is consistent with current knowledge.”
The researchers noted that their poll finds 42% of all adults aged 75 to 80 years are taking aspirin, and 31% of the respondents who take action do not appear to know about the bleeding risk associated with it.
National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA) surveys are fielded twice a year and use a sample of about 2,000 respondents aged 50 to 80 years drawn from a nationally representative, probability-based panel of U.S. households.
“As guidelines change, it’s important for everyone over 40 to talk with their healthcare provider about their individual cardiovascular risk based on their family history, past health issues, current medications, recent test results like blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and lifestyle factors like smoking, physical activity and eating habits,” Geoffrey Barnes, MD, MSC, a Michigan Medicine cardiologist who worked on the poll, pointed out. “Preventive aspirin use should be based on age plus these factors.”
Overall, the poll demonstrates that 71% of older adults who take aspirin started 4 or more years ago. The study team suggested that could mean that they and their healthcare provider.
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