I was put on a high dose daily asperin regimen in the year 2000 avter suffering a heart attack. I had another heart attack in 2014 and my aspirin regimen was changed to low dose.I've always doubted the effectiveness of the low dose and now a 2016 study has also cast some doubt but maybe I am misinterupting the study. The high dose was apparently stopped because of bleeding it caused in the stomach area and the brain. I knew aboutthe stomach bleeding but not an asperin caused bleed in the brain. Do you have an opinion ora comment? https://www.nih.gov/news-events/new...have-no-effect-healthy-life-span-older-people
Like you, I don't think the low-dose aspirin regimen helps a lot. One expert I heard lecture maintained that one regular aspirin per day was beneficial for clot-related illnesses. I take one or two daily and think they are helpful, but I have no history of GI bleeding or stroke. My spouse, however, could not tolerate that at all, so I think it is an individual issue. Low-dose is thought to be beneficial for those who have a history of heart disease and safe for most people. Since I believe that inflammation is the cause of most heart disease, aspirin SHOULD help with it. According to my theories, B vitamins and fish oil should also help.
@Bill Boggs I took a regular dose adult aspirin, uncoated (bad, supposedly) for quite a few years many years ago. Then I heard about the bleeding, and switched to one children's tablet daily. Realizing mild bleeding is virtually undetectable, no pain, no discolored stools, I quit taking it altogether. Recently my wife and I did the "Colo-guard" routine, and the result for occult (unseen) blood, but only in the stools. The brain? Why not? Look at it this was: blood thinners like Warfarin or Coumadin, when used to kill rats, cause internal bleeding from capillaries throughout their bodies. Crummy way to die, I would not like that! Frank
“Clinical guidelines note the benefits of aspirin for preventing heart attacks and strokes in persons with vascular conditions such as coronary artery disease,” said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. “The concern has been uncertainty about whether aspirin is beneficial for otherwise healthy older people without those conditions. This study shows why it is so important to conduct this type of research, so that we can gain a fuller picture of aspirin’s benefits and risks among healthy older persons.” “Continuing follow-up of the ASPREE participants is crucial, particularly since longer term effects on risks for outcomes such as cancer and dementia may differ from those during the study to date,” said Evan Hadley, M.D., director of NIA’s Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology. “These initial findings will help to clarify the role of aspirin in disease prevention for older adults, but much more needs to be learned. The ASPREE team is continuing to analyze the results of this study and has implemented plans for monitoring participants.” As these efforts continue, Hadley emphasized that older adults should follow the advice from their own physicians about daily aspirin use. I have taken an 81 mg coated aspirin since I was about 40 years old because my family has a history of blood clots. The coated aspirin doesn't cause stomach problems because it dissolves in the intestine. My father started having blood clots when he was in his forties. So far, I have had none.
In Dec 2017 when I suffered my first CHF..hospital doctors put me on 325 mg .I told them repeatedly I can't take that. A week later back to ER with internal bleeding- enough that they wanted to admit me- hospital filled. Instead was sent to gastro dr. she put me on 81 mg aspirin. I still take it but not so sure I need everyday.
@Frank Sanoica, Cologuard is for cancer screening, not bleeding. It is an improved method for colorectal cancer screening that uses DNA technology to screen low risk individuals. If you are bleeding (occult), the Cologuard test would still be negative unless your stool contained cancer DNA. The older tests that screened for occult blood in stool had many false positives, since it detected ANY blood, not just intestinal bleeding. If you were a heavy meat eater, the older tests may still be positive (false positive). Hemorrhoids could also cause a false positive with the older methods. https://www.cologuardtest.com/faq
I was taking low-dose aspirin at the suggestion of my doctor, but I have a new doctor now, and she hasn't mentioned it. Due largely to this study, and because I never could understand just how it would be of help, I quit taking it.
@Don Alaska That I did not know! Thank you! I always thought all they looked for was occult blood. Explains perhaps why each test cost $700. Frank
When the benefits of an aspirin regime first came out, I was taking it. Then they changed their minds and said there are risks to a daily aspirin, and to only take it if there is a specific reason, so I quit. Then in January 2020 I had a presumed small stroke (although the cardiologist thinks it may have been neurological), and the cardiologist put me back on the low dose uncoated stuff (coated aspirin does not yield the same benefit.) I started having stomach issues in September and a couple of days ago the gastroenterologist told me to ask my doctor if it was OK for me to stop taking the aspirin to see if that is the problem. I left a message for my doctor and just stopped. I'm not gonna see a cardiologist for something like low-level. We'll see if it takes care of stuff. I find it strange that it took 2 years for it to be an issue for me. We shall see. My issues may be something else.
No, I don't take low-dose aspirin. I did so for a few years but my doctor didn't see any advantage to it, then when I started cancer treatment they advised me to stop taking it and all supplements.
I always knew that the slow-release coated aspirins did not provide the best anti-clotting benefit, but when I recently researched to see if the low-dose could be causing my stomach issues, I found a couple of articles that said the coated aspirins aren't really that much easier on your stomach. The general recommendation for folks who really need to be on aspirin therapy was to take an acid reducer with them. I wonder what my doctor would say about that.
@John Brunner, you could try taking the new Vazalore aspirin. It is said to pass completely through the stomach and dissolve in the duodenum. It is a patented product so it is quite expensive, but it is OTC so you can buy it in your local drug department if you really think you need it, want it, or if it has been recommended by your doc.
When my dad had his first heart attack I started taking a daily 325mg aspirin...Aspirin has always been my pain reliever of choice. When I had my first heart event my cardiologist put me on low dose aspirin. I'm still on it and whenever I need a pain reliever I take a full dose...... Never been bothered with any reaction to aspirin.