Heart Health
Many older adults still follow outdated aspirin advice
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
A nationwide poll suggests that one in four older adults takes aspirin regularly in hopes of preventing a heart attack or stroke, even though updated guidelines from 2019 advise against that practice in many cases.
Aspirin helps prevent blood clots that can cause a heart attack or stroke, but the drug can also cause serious bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract and brain. Thanks to a better appreciation of that risk, daily low-dose aspirin is now recommended mainly for people who've already had a heart attack or face a very high risk of one. But 57% of adults who said they take aspirin regularly also said they have no history of cardiovascular disease. And nearly one-third of these people don't appear to know about aspirin's bleeding risk.
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About the Author
![photo of Julie Corliss](https://d2icykjy7h7x7e.cloudfront.net/authors/sA3ZdpCgTj4g3UoiGOBnYISWiUDAxrxi2l5SexJz.jpg)
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
![photo of Christopher P. Cannon, MD](https://d2icykjy7h7x7e.cloudfront.net/authors/mjZEhXP5MlckGcpBwtSOOH6XxRmkaf56pXc55t6I.jpg)
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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